To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if she will pay the postal costs of voluntary bodies and registered charities requested to respond to Government consultation documents; and if she will make a statement. [80915]

When voluntary bodies and registered charities are invited to respond to a consultation document, it is not standard practice to automatically meet the postal costs incurred. However, any individual request for reimbursement would be considered on its merit. Where a voluntary organisation receives a grant from the Department towards its central administration costs, it is not unreasonable to expect postal costs in responding to consultation documents to be met from that grant.