HC Deb 27 January 2003 vol 398 cc586-7W
Mr. Beggs

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much money has been provided from Government funds to the US-Ireland Alliance in each of the last three years; whether he has made representations to the US Government about the charitable status of the US-Ireland Alliance; whether a representative of the Unionist community in Northern Ireland sits on the honorary board of the US-Ireland Alliance; and what plans he has to review funding for the US-Ireland Alliance. [92304]

Jane Kennedy

The Department for Employment and Learning has committed financial support to the Mitchell Scholarship Programme, which is managed by the US-Ireland Alliance, for the period 2000–05; contributing £22,619 in the financial year 2000–01, £24,717 in 2001–02 and £23,900 in 2002–03. No representations have been made to the US Government on the charitable status of the US-Ireland Alliance. The Department is unaware of any representative membership of the honorary board from the Unionist community in Northern Ireland. The Department plans to review funding for the Mitchell Scholarship Programme in 2005.