§ Baroness Byfordasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether funding programmes, such as the LEADER + European Community Initiative, which last longer than one year are treated in government accounts as an irrevocable forward spending provision. [HL4395]
§ Lord WhittyThe England LEADER + Programme has a budget set out in the programme document which has been endorsed by Ministers and approved by the European Commission for the lifetime of the programme. There is therefore a commitment for Defra to match-fund this programme at endorsed levels.
Departmental decisions on resource allocation are currently made annually and we expect LEADER + to receive the required funding via the normal mechanism.
Although there is therefore a ministerial commitment to fund the LEADER + Programme, this does not technically constitute an "irrevocable forward spending provision".