HC Deb 08 November 1979 vol 973 cc581-9
1. Mr. Higgins

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish figures

TABLE 1
CENTRAL GOVERNMENT ASSIMILATED BLOCKS (4)
Class and Vote number (1) Accounting Department Description of expenditure Percentage of wages and salaries in cash limit (3)
I 1 Ministry of Defence Pay etc. of armed forces and civilians, stores, supplies and miscellaneous services 75
I 2 Ministry of Defence Defence procurement 5
I 4 Department of the Environment (Property Services Agency) Defence accommodation services 10
I 5 Ministry of Defence Defence dockyard services 55
II 1* Foreign and Commonwealth Office Overseas representation: diplomatic and consular services 65
II 2 Department of the Environment (Property Services Agency) Overseas representation: accommotion services 0
II 3 Foreign and Commonwealth Office British Broadcasting Corporation external services 55
II 4 Foreign and Commonwealth Office British Council 35
II 5 Foreign and Commonwealth Office Foreign and Commonwealth services 0

for the total wage and salary component included under each public expenditure cash limit.

The Chief Secretary to the Treasury (Mr. John Biffen)

I will arrange for a table to be published in the Official Report.

Mr. Higgins

Can my right hon. Friend confirm that the Government will at no stage put forward proposals to increase the cash limits to accommodate wage settlements in excess of the payroll assumptions set out in those limits?

Mr. Biffen

Yes, Sir.

Mr. Joel Barnett

If the right hon. gentleman is setting a cash limit including pay, will he count that as a pay norm?

Mr. Biffen

No. The statement last week on the public spending White Paper indicated that the figure would refer to cost increases rather than to specific wage increases.

Mr. Denzil Davies

Is it not the case that in large areas of the public sector a cash limit on wages is, in effect, an incomes policy? If the Government are running a public sector incomes policy under the guise of cash limits, they should say so clearly.

Mr. Biffen

Nothing about the Government's cash limits policy bears any comparison with the statutory control of wages undertaken by the previous Government.

Following is the table:

Class and Vote number (1) Accounting Department Description of expenditure Percentage of wages and salaries in cash limit (3)
II 8 Cabinet Office Secret service N/A
II 10 Ministry of Overseas Development Overseas aid 0
II 11* Ministry of Overseas Development Overseas aid administration 65
III 5 Ministry of Agriculture. Fisheries and Food Other agricultural and food services 0
III 7* Intervention Board for Agricultural Produce Central administration 30
III 8 Ministry of Agriculture. Fisheries and Food Support for the fishing industry 0
III 9 Forestry Commission Forestry 5
III 10* Ministry of Agriculture. Fisheries and Food Departmental administration 85
IV 2 Department of Industry Miscellaneous support services 0
IV 4 Department of Trade Pay, general administrative expenses, export promotion and trade, co-operation, tourism, regulation of trading practices and other support services 50
IV 7 Department of Industry Scientific and technological assistance 15
IV 8 Department of Energy Industrial support 0
IV 9 Department of Energy Scientific and technological assisance, nuclear energy 65
IV 11* Export Credits Guarantee Department Central services 90
IV 13 Department of Trade: Consumer Affairs Pay, general administrative expenses and consumer protection 35
IV 14* Friendly Societies Registry Pay and general administrative expenses (2)
IV 15* Office of Fair Trading Pay and general administrative expenses 80
IV 16 Department of Employment Labour market services 0
IV 18* Department of Employment Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service 50
IV 19 Department of Employment Manpower Services Commission 25
IV 22* Department of Employment Departmental administration (2)
IV 23* Department of Industry Central and miscellaneous services (2)
IV 24* Department of Energy Administration and miscellaneous services (2)
IV 25 Department of Employment Health and Safety Commission 50
VI 3 Department of Transport Roads etc., England 0
VI 4 Department of Transport Transport services 0
VI 6 Department of Trade Shipping and civil aviation services 15
VII 7* Department of Transport Central and miscellaneous services (2)
VIII 4 Department of the Environment Central environmental services etc. 10
VIII 6 Department of the Environment Royal palaces, royal parks, historic buildings and ancient monuments 20
VIII 7* Department of the Environment Central administration and environmental research 70
IX 1* Lord Chancellor's Department Administration of justice: England and Wales (2)
IX 13* Treasury Solicitor Pay and general administrative expenses 90
X 4 Department of Education and Science Universities etc. 60
X 6 Department of Education and Science Educational Services 0
X 9 Department of Education and Science Libraries, England 40
X 11* Department of Education and Science Central administration services 90
X 12 Department of Education and Science Agricultural Research Council 45
X 13 Department of Education and Science Medical Research Council 50
X 14 Department of Education and Science Natural Environment Research Council 55
X 15 Department of Education and Science Science Research Council 10
Class and Vote number (1) Accounting Department Description of expenditure Percentage of wages and salaries in cash limit (3)
X 16 Department of Education and Science Social Science Research Council 15
X 17 Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History) British Museum (Natural History) 90
X 18 Department of Education and Science Other science etc. 0
X 19 Trustees of the British Museum British Museum 70
X 20 Department of Education and Science Science Museum 65
X 21 Department of Education and Science Victoria and Albert Museum 55
X 22 Trustees of the Imperial War Museum Imperial War Museum 75
X 23 Trustees of the National Gallery National Gallery 30
X 24 Trustees of the National Maritime Museum National Maritime Museum 70
X 25 Trustees of the National Portrait Gallery National Portrait Gallery 50
X 26 Trustees of the Tate Gallery Tate Gallery 50
X 27 Trustees of the Wallace Collection Wallace Collection 90
X 30 Department of Education and Science Arts Council and other grants 5
XI 1 Department of Health and Social Security Health and personal social services, England 75
XII 4* Department of Health and Social Security Administration and miscellaneous services (2)
XIII 3* Privy Council Office Pay and general administrative expenses 90
XIII 4* Treasury Pay and general administrative expenses 80
XIII 5* Customs and Excise Pay, general administrative expenses and capital expenditure 90
XIII 6* Board of Inland Revenue Pay and general administrative expenses 90
XIII 7* Department of Transport Driver and vehicle licensing 55
XIII 9* Exchequer and Audit Department Pay and general administrative expenses (2)
XIII 10* National Debt Office Pay and general administrative expenses (2)
XIII 11* Public Works Loan Commission Pay and general administrative expenses (2)
XIII 12* Department for National Savings Pay and general administrative expenses 60
XIII 15 Civil Service Department Central management of the Civil Service 70
XIII 16* Public Record Office Pay and general administrative expenses (2)
XIII 18* Office of Population Censuses and Surveys Pay and general administrative expenses (2)
XIII 20* Land Registry Pay and general administrative expenses 75
XIII 22* Charity Commission Pay and general administrative expenses 90
XIII 23* Ordnance Survey Pay, general administrative expenses and capital expenditure (2)
XIII 24* Cabinet Office Pay and general administrative expenses 90
XIII 28* Parliamentary Commissioner and Health Service Commissioners Pay and general administrative expenses 90
XIII 29* Public Trustee Pay and general administrative expenses (2)
XIV 1 Department of the Environment (Property Services Agency) Office and general accommodation services 5
XIV 2* Department of the Environment (Property Services Agency) Administration and miscellaneous services 60
XIV 3 Stationery Office Stationery and printing 35
XIV 4 Civil Service Department Computers and telecommunications 10
XIV 5 Central Office of Information Publicity and departmental administration 20
Class and Vote number (1) Accounting Department Description of expenditure Percentage of wages and salaries in cash limit (3)
XIV 8* Government Actuary's Department Pay and general administrative expenses (2)
XIV 9 Civil Service Department Civil Service catering services (2)
XIV 10* Paymaster General's Office Pay and general administrative expenses 70
XV 2 Northern Ireland Office Law, order and protective services 15
XV 3* Northern Ireland Court Services Administration of justice: Northern Ireland 80
XV 4* Northern Ireland Office Central and miscellaneous services 55
XVII 1 Department of the Environment Rate support grant and supplementary grants to local authorities 0
XVII 10* Crown Estate Office Pay and administrative expenses 90
XVII 14 Department of Transport Transport supplementary grants: England and Wales 0
TABLE 2
CENTRAL GOVERNMENT UNASSIMILATED BLOCKS(4)
Accounting department Cash block (1) Description of expenditure Percentage of wages and salaries in cash limit (3)
Home Office HO1* Pay and general administrative expenditure 80
Home Office HO2 Law, order and protective services 0
SCOTLAND
Scottish Office SO1* Pay and general administrative expenses 75
Scottish Office SO2 Rate support grant for local authorities in Scotland 0
Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland DAFS1 Agricultural services and fisheries support 5
Scottish Courts Administration SCA1* Pay and general administrative expenses 85
Scottish Development Department SDD1 Motorways, trunk roads and other environmental services 5
Scottish Economic Planning Department SEPD1 Regional and industrial development 5
SEPD2 Manpower Services Commission 0
Scottish Education Department SED1 Education, libraries and arts 5
SED2 Social work 0
National Library of Scotland SED3 National Library of Scotland 70
National Galleries of Scotland SED4 National Galleries of Scotland 45
National Museum of Antiquities of Scotland SED5 National Museum of Antiquities Scotland 60
Scottish Home and Health Department SHHD1 Health 65
SHHD2* Law, order and protective services (central support and other services) 55
Department of the Registers of Scotland DRS1* Pay and general administrative expenses (2)
Registrar General's Office, Scotland RGO(S)1* Pay and general administrative expenses (2)
Scottish Record Office SRO1* Pay and general administrative expenses (2)
Queen's and Lord Treasurer's Remembrancer QLTR1* Pay and general administrative expenses 95
Accounting department Cash block (1) Description of expenditure Percentage of wages and salaries in cash limit (3)
WALES
Welsh Office WO1* Pay and genera administrative expenses 0
WO2 Health and personal social services, roads, education, libraries, arts, other environmental services and agriculture 55
WO3 Regional and industrial development 0
WO4 Manpower Services Commission 0
Notes:
(1) Central responsibility for expenditure control is exercised by the Treasury and the Civil Service Department, depending on the nature of the expenditure concerned. Blocks controlled by the Civil Service Department are indicated by an asterisk.
(2) In certain cash limits, indicated by this footnote, the total of wages and salaries expenditure exceeds the cash limit, which is based on expenditure net of receipts.
(3) Percentages are given rounded to the nearest 5 per cent.
(4) Tables 1 and 2 both relate to cash limits on central Government voted expenditure. The cash limits on the capital expenditure of local authorities and other bodies contain little pay. The limits on nationalised industries relate to their external financial requirement.