The North's Finance Minister, Dr Sean Farren, cannot count on the support of his SDLP colleagues if he decides to introduce water charges, one party MLA, Mr Joe Byrne, has stated.
Last week, Dr Farren hinted at the introduction of public utility charges as well as an increase in domestic rates to raise additional revenue for the North's public services.
Mr Byrne, however, said his party would not support such moves nor would it back the privatisation of the water service.
"I want to publicly state once again the SDLP policy position on water and that is: 'The SDLP are opposed to any privatisation of the water service in Northern Ireland and the SDLP are opposed to any introduction of water meter charging for domestic householders'."
In a statement responding to the British Chancellor's budget, Dr Farren said that even with the extra £2.7 billion allocated to the North's health service over five years, the gap between it and the English service was likely to widen.
"While English spending will rise by 10 per cent per year, what Northern Ireland will get will allow growth of only 7.5 per cent on average in our health service.
"If we are to keep pace simply with the cash growth planned in England, without taking account of relative needs, we would need more than £1 billion extra over the next five years than we have received in this budget."
During Ministers' Question Time, the Education Minister, Mr Martin McGuinness, angered unionists when he said he cared more for young people on Belfast's loyalist Shankill Road than some of the unionist politicians in the chamber.
Less than 2 per cent of pupils in the area achieved a grammar school place, he added, making nonsense of unionists' claims that the current system of academic selection helped pupils in working-class areas.
Mr McGuinness also defended a new cross-Border autism centre against DUP claims it was the latest step towards a united Ireland.
The Education Minister said the centre of excellence for Autism Spectrum Disorder in Co Armagh was the "most exciting" announcement to emerge from his work on the North-South Ministerial Council.
The DUP's allegation was an insult to the parents of autistic children, both unionist and nationalist, he added.