HL Deb 26 May 2004 vol 661 cc133-4WA
Lord Laird

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Further to the Written Answer by the Lord President on 23 April (WA 63) concerning the budget of the Ulster-Scots Agency, what topics cannot be disclosed under Part 2, paragraph 2 (internal discussion and advice) of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information; and [HL2701]

Further to the Written Answer by the Lord President on 23 April (WA 63) concerning the budget of the Ulster-Scots Agency, on what grounds it would be inappropriate to disclose information about the consultation process for the setting of the budget.[HL2702]

Baroness Amos

Paragraph 2 of Part II, of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information provides that information about internal discussion and advice is exempt from disclosure if to do so would harm the frankness and candour of internal discussion. Information on the budget of the Ulster-Scots Agency was withheld for that reason.

Lord Laird

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Why the Northern Ireland Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure removed the funding from the Ulster-Scots Agency budget for 2004, when a proportion of it was specifically aimed at resolving the annual dispute at Drumcree. [HL2746]

Baroness Amos

The Northern Ireland Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure did not remove money from the Ulster-Scots Agency's budget for 2004.