§ Lord Craigtonasked Her Majesty's Government:
How much money they have allocated to Northern Ireland in 1983–84 and, within that amount, how much do they apportion for conservation in comparison with money for the Sports Council and the Arts Council in relation to Northern Ireland separately.
§ The Minister of State, Northern Ireland Office (The Earl of Mansfield)Our latest forecast of expenditure in 1983–84 for which my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland is responsible is £3,799 million. Of this, the Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland plans to spend some £8.3 million on conservation-oriented projects such as country parks, nature reserves, pollution control, historic buildings and monuments, and general environmental improvements. Many of the activities of government departments in Northern Ireland also include elements of conservation; for example, the Department of Agriculture's fisheries and forestry programmes and the Department of Education's support for museums but separate figures are not available. The grants to the Northern Ireland Sports and Arts Councils in 1983–84 were £914,000 and £2,675,000 respectively.