HL Deb 07 July 2004 vol 663 cc79-80WA
Lord Laird

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Further to the Written Answer by the Lord President on 23 April (WA 63) concerning disclosure of information under part 2, paragraph 2 (mutual discussion and advice) of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information, whether it is possible to disclose numbers of meetings to the chairman of the agency with whom the discussions were held. [HL3170]

Baroness Amos:

As the former chairman of the board of the Ulster-Scots Agency the noble Lord will already be aware of the number of meetings about the 2004 budget which took place between his agency and DCAL officials during his tenure of office. There were five.

Lord Laird

asked her Majesty's Government:

Further to the Written Answer by the Lord President on 10 June (WA 42) concerning budgets for cross-Border implementation bodies, why £600,000, which was to be used to continue a policy agreed by the North/South Ministerial Council, was removed from the budget for 2004 requested by the Ulster-Scots Agency. [HL3303]

Baroness Amos:

I have nothing further to add to my Answers on 17 June 2004 (WA 80) and on 26 May 2004 (WA 134).

Lord Laird

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether the staff of the North/South Ministerial Executive have recently indicated dissatisfaction with the grants offered by the Ulster-Scots Agency. [HL3306]

Baroness Amos:

The issuing of grants by the Ulster-Scots Agency is not a matter in which the North/South Ministerial Council Joint Secretariat has any locus.

Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:

What steps they are taking to ensure that the Ulster-Scots Agency is positively represented to the media by the staff of the North/South Ministerial Council in Armagh. [HL3405]

Baroness Amos:

It is not a function of the North/ South Ministerial Council Joint Secretariat to make any representations to the media in relation to the North/South Implementation Bodies.