For a number of years now a three year planning horizon has been in place for public expenditure. I want to develop this further to give greater certainty to Departments in relation to planned allocations over the medium term. I have already introduced a five year financial envelope in the public transport sector to facilitate greater planning and more effective management of expenditure. My Department is currently considering whether a similar approach can be applied in other large capital spending areas. Ministers and Secretaries General are responsible for managing spending within their area and I want to give them the maximum flexibility to do so effectively. Greater delegation must be coupled with greater accountability. The public has a right to see whether it is getting value for money. I want to see a greater focus on results and outputs achieved.