§ Mr. DoddsTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much money his Department has spent464W in each year since 1998 on community relations programmes; and what estimate he has made of the value for money of such expenditure. [122634]
§ Mr. SpellarThe amount of money spent on community relations programmes in each of the last five financial years was as follows:
year £ 1998–99 12,741,741 1999–2000 13,542,188 2000–01 12,295,712 2001–02 10,471,580 2002–03 10,403,164 TOTAL 59,454,385 The totals include funding provided under the EU Special Support Programme for Peace and Reconciliation 1995–99 (Peace I), the EU Physical, Social and Environment Sectoral Programme 1994–99 and the interim funding arrangements pending the coming into operation of the Peace II Programme.
Regular independent evaluations of funding of community relations programmes are commissioned. Evaluations completed within the last 3 years of the funding provided to the Community Relations Council, District Council Community Relations Programme and Co-operation Ireland, which together amount to some £4.5 million of the mainstream Community Relations Programme provision of just over £5 million annually, were generally positive about the impact of their activities to promote better Community Relations in Northern Ireland. Both Programme and project evaluations carried out in relation to the EU funding have also been generally positive.