To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what funding was provided for the promotion of (a) Irish culture and (b) Ulster-Scots culture in each year since 1998. [122639]

The Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure funds the Ulster Scots Agency, which has a statutory remit to promote Ulster-Scots language aid Culture. Total funding provided for the promotion of Ulster-Scots culture by the Agency since its formation is as follows:

	£
2000	38,020.40
2001	369,002.35
2002	331,254.71
2003 to date	133,396.73

The Department has also funded some projects with an Irish or Ulster-Scots cultural dimension which cannot be separated out from the primary funding objective.