§ Lord Lairdasked Her Majesty's Government:
In the event that additional resources are made available to North/South ministerial bodies during this financial year, whether the Ulster-Scots Agency will be given priority, as its initial requirements were not met. [HL3404]
§ Baroness AmosThe 2004 budgets for each of the North/South implementation bodies have been jointly agreed by the two governments, in accordance with the arrangements under the agreements made by the exchange of notes between the two governments dated 19 November 2002. The provision of additional resources, above the amounts agreed in the budgets, would be considered only in response to new and specific pressures. Such issues must be the subject of a specific request from the relevant body to its sponsoring department, and it would then be considered in the context of the body's business plan for the year in question, the resource availability at the time and other competing priorities.