§ Mr. HunterTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) what measures he is taking to ensure that funds from the European Union assigned to organisations which claim to support victims of violence are used for that purpose; [117126]
(2) what is the total value of EU funds provided to Northern Ireland since December 1993; and how much of this has gone to organisations claiming to support victims of violence. [117125]
§ Mr. IngramAll organisations, including those offering support to victims of violence, which received funding from the European Union are subject to the financial controls stipulated in the European Commission's regulations and enforced by each member state. These include verification visits by the promoters through which the funds are channelled; independent audit checks by consultants acting on behalf of the promoters; and checks/visits carried out by Departmental Internal Auditors, the Northern Ireland Audit Office and the European Court of Auditors.
The total value of European Union funds allocated to Northern Ireland since December 1993 is approximately £1.5 billion comprising NI Single Programme £980 million, Community Initiatives £92 million and the European Special Programme for Peace and Reconciliation £385 million.
A total of £3.8 million has been allocated to organisations specifically offering support for victims of violence.