§ Lord Lairdasked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Privy Seal on 3 June (WA 140) concerning Northern Ireland Departments and underspend, what is meant by "In practice, the contribution from Northern Ireland and Ireland to North/South bodies can be managed to address any planning issues that emerge"; and whether they can give examples when such funds have been used in that way. [HL3212]
§ The Lord President of the Council (Lord Williams of Mostyn)The budgets for the North/South Implementation Bodies are planned and managed on a calendar year basis whereas Northern Ireland public expenditure is planned and managed on a financial year basis. This means that, in practical terms, it is possible to manage the Northern contribution to the budgets (as distinct from the overall budget of the bodies), with a degree of flexibility rather than by recourse to the formal end year flexibility mechanism. However, to date circumstances have not required this approach to be used.
Any changes to the overall budgets for the bodies must be agreed in accordance with the arrangements established under the agreement made by the exchange of notes between the two governments dated 19 November 2002.