Northern Ireland

Owen Paterson Excerpts

Tuesday 27th July 2010 Ministerial Corrections

[Graham Evans]

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much (a) his Department and (b) its agencies and non-departmental public bodies spent on hospitality in each year since 1997.

[Mr Paterson]

On 12 April 2010 the Northern Ireland Office (NIO) transferred responsibility for policing and justice to the Northern Ireland Assembly. Comparable figures for the Department as it is now configured are not available.

Since 12 April the Department has spent £234 on hospitality.

The NIO has no agencies. It has one non-departmental public body which has incurred no cost on hospitality since 12 April.

[Official Report, 19 July 2010, Vol. 514, c. 5W.]

Letter of correction from Mr. Paterson:

An error has been identified in relation to the answer given to the hon. Member for Weaver Vale (Graham Evans) on 19 July 2010, Official Report, column 5W, on hospitality expenditure.

It has come to our attention that the figure of £234 was not up to date at the time of answering this Question as some relevant July costs had not been centrally recorded at the time the Question was answered. The updated figure should have been £438.63.

The corrected full answer should now read:

[Mr Paterson]

On 12 April 2010 the Northern Ireland Office (NIO) transferred responsibility for policing and justice to the Northern Ireland Assembly. Comparable figures for the Department as it is now configured are not available.

Since 12 April the Department has spent £438.63 on hospitality.

The NIO has no agencies. It has one non-departmental public body which has incurred no cost on hospitality since 12 April.