asked Her Majesty's Government:
How grants from the transitional fund, which were used to fund an extra £100,000 to the West Belfast Nationalist Festival this year, are being equality tested.[HL6997]
The Community Festivals Fund is being piloted and the policy is the subject of a consultation exercise that will conclude on 30 September 2006. An equality impact assessment is being undertaken as part of this exercise.
Individual grants are not specifically equality tested.
asked Her Majesty's Government:
Which organisations have been refused the full amount of funding requested from the first allocation of festival funding operated by the Northern Ireland Events Company.[HL6999]
A list of the organisations that were offered less than the full amount of funding requested from the first allocation of festival funding, including those that were rejected in full, are as follows:
Successful Applications
Armagh Festival of Traditional and Folk Song
Ballymacarrett Community and Cultural Engagement Project
South Lough Neagh Regeneration Association
Gilford District LOL Number 13
Cairncastle LOL 692 Cultural and Community Group
Carlingford Lough International Currach Championships
Bangor District Educational and Historical Society
Coleraine District LOL Number 2 Festival Committee
South Tyrone Empowerment Programme (STEP)
Crumlin Community Festival Group
Fiddlers Green Music and Arts Festival
Fern Community Relations Programme
Glasgowbury Music Group
Greater Shankill Community Festival
Lady of the Lake Festival Committee
Lurgan District LOL No 6
National Country Sports Fair
O'Neill Summer School
Magheragall District LOL No 9
Randalstown Arches Association
Richhill, Hamiltonsbawn and District Golden Jubilee Committee
Sandy Row Residents' Association
Northern Ireland Sheep Shearers' Association
Summer Madness NI Limited
Tyrone Orange Vision 2000
Unsuccessful Applications
North West Rural Development
Comahaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann
Dundonald Cultural Society
TG Marketing
Dollingstown Ulster Scots Cultural and Heritage Society
Delorean Owners Association
Youth Action Northern Ireland
Ulster American Folk Park
Culbann Clay Pigeon Club
Larne Alive Committee
Longstone Community Association
Country Lifestyle Exhibitions
Wilson Archer, Megalife Ministries
Merville May Day Festival Committee
Artstart
Shorts Junior Soccer Section
Switch Ventures
Ulster-Scots Agency
Magherafelt and District Motorclub
Mid Ulster Vintage Vehicles Club
Only one applicant, Carrickfergus District LOL Number 19, was awarded the full amount requested.
asked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Rooker on 12 July (Official Report, WA 126) concerning funding for community festivals, what is meant by “this funding will be processed by the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure”; who will pay the funding; from what source the funding will be paid; and how much is available from that source.[HL7000]
This means that the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure will be responsible for the administration and payment of these funds.
Up to £145,400 will be available to three community festivals in the current year from the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure under transitional funding arrangements.