HL Deb 23 April 2004 vol 660 c65WA
Lord Laird

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Further to the Written Answer by the Lord President on 5 April (WA 183) concerning the 2004 budgets for cross-Border bodies, what were the increased running costs of x00A3;1 million allowed for Waterways Ireland; and why was a similar allowance not made for the Ulster Scots Agency. [HL2417]

Baroness Amos

The £1 million increase in running costs for Waterways Ireland is made up as follows:

  1. 1. Provision for pay awards, including arrears in the South;
  2. 2. Increase in payroll costs as a result of recruitment towards a full complement of staff;
  3. 3. General increase in construction and administrative costs.

The budget of each of the bodies is arrived at independently, and there is no automatic read-across from one to another.