§ Lord Lairdasked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Privy Seal on 2 April (WA 132) concerning the budgets for the North/South Implementation Bodies: (a) whether in each case there were discussions with the boards before the budgets were decided; (b) if so, when and what was agreed; (c) on what authority any changes were then made to each budget; and (d) which, if any, political advisers were involved and what advice did they offer to the Ministers concerned. [HL2735]
§ The Lord President of the Council (Lord Williams of Mostyn)Arrangements for agreeing and approving the budgets for the North/South Implementation Bodies for 2003 were contained in the agreement made by the exchange of notes between the two Governments dated 19 November 2002. The dates on which the recommendations for the budgets for each of the North/South Bodies for 2003 were approved under the above arrangements are set out in the table below. Prior to approval by the two Governments the proposed budgets for the bodies were the subject of consultation between the departments concerned, and agreement by the Finance Ministers north and south.
The special advisers in the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister were consulted on the budgets for the bodies prior to the British and Irish Governments approving the recommendations for those budgets. These advisers do not offer advice to Ministers.
Table showing dale of approval of 2003 budgets for North/South Implementation Bodies
Implementation Body Date of Approval Waterways Ireland 24 February 2003 Language Body 26 February 2003 Food Safety Promotion Board 27 February 2003 Trade & Business Development Body 25 February 2003 Special EU Programmes Body 6 March 2003 FCILC 11 March 2003
§ Lord Lairdasked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Privy Seal on 2 April (WA 132) concerning Cross-Border Implementation Bodies, on what date the budget for 2003 was agreed between the Northern Ireland Department of Finance and its counterpart in the Republic of Ireland's Government; on what date the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure was informed; when the cut was announced; in what form was the announcement; and in what way did it observe the policy of transparency. [HL2768]
78WA
§ Lord Williams of MostynThe Minister responsible for the Department of Finance and Personnel in Northern Ireland agreed the budget for 2003 for the Language Body on 29 January 2003 and the Irish Finance Minister agreed the budget on 19 December 2002. The budget was then approved on 26 February 2003 under the agreement made by the exchange of notes between the two Governments dated 19 November 2002. The North/South Ministerial Council Joint Secretariat formally advised the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure on 7 M arch 2003 that the budget for the Language Body had been approved under the above arrangements. Details of the agreed budgets for the Implementation Bodies were placed in the Library on 7 April.
§ Lord Lairdasked Her Majesty's Government:
In connection with the North/South decision making process, whether they will lodge all papers relating to the setting of implementation bodies' budgets for 2003 in the Library of the House. [HL2828]
§ Lord Williams of MostynThe papers relating to the budgets of the Implementation Bodies, which were agreed by the British and Irish Governments under the exchange of notes of 19 November 2002, have been placed in the Library.