§ Lord Lairdasked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Written Answer by the Lord President on 1 March (WA 10) concerning cross-border bodies, whether the policy of care and maintenance only relates to new policies and not to cost; and why the Ulster-Scots Agency closed down some operations in 2004 due to a lack of funding. [HL1592]
§ Baroness AmosIn relation to care and maintenance I have nothing further to add to the answer given on 1 March 2005 (Official Report, col. WA 10).
The Ulster-Scots Agency has advised me that it did not close down any operations during 2004. However, I understand that as a matter of financial propriety, the agency introduced a moratorium on the acceptance of new grant applications between June and October 2004. In addition the agency decided not to publish one scheduled issue of the Ulster-Scot newspaper in 2004.