§ Lord Lairdasked Her Majesty's Government:
How much money each Northern Ireland department spent in the year 2003–04; whether there was an underspend in any department; and, if so, what was the amount and why. [HL2514]
§ Baroness AmosInformation on the extent of any underspends for Northern Ireland Departments for 2003–04 is not yet available. It is expected to be available before the Summer Parliamentary Recess.
I will ensure the noble Lord is sent a copy of this information and copies are placed in the Library of the House.
§ Baroness Bloodasked Her Majesty's Government:
How much money has come into Northern Ireland through the Northern Ireland block grant for children aged up to 14 years for each of the past five years; how this money was proportioned to each Northern Ireland government department; and what impact this money has had on children's services. [HL2699]
§ Baroness AmosPublic expenditure allocations to Northern Ireland are determined through the application of the Barnett formula, which provides a population-based share of changes in comparable Whitehall spending programmes. This approach does not allow for the tracking of additions to the NI block arising from general issues such as spending on children aged up to 14 years.