To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Baroness Royall of Blaisdon on 9 March (WA 204), whether they will define “operational matter” in relation to non-security matters; and whether the decision to apply this term is at the discretion of the relevant Minister. [HL2082]

In this context the term “operational matter” is used in relation to the day to day running activities of the independent bodies sponsored by the Northern Ireland Office. This includes questions asked about the chief electoral officer.

Ministers will respond substantively on statutory policy or corporate sponsorship matters relating to these bodies.

To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Baroness Royall of Blaisdon on 9 March (WA 204), whether a matter widely reported in the public domain can be classified as operational; and what are their criteria for classifying a matter as operational. [HL2083]

The term “operational matter” is used in relation to the day to day running activities of the independent bodies sponsored by the Northern Ireland Office. This definition is not affected by whether or not such a matter is in the public domain.