§ Mr. Raffanasked the Secretary of State for Wales if there are to be any changes to his Department's cash limits in the current year in connection with expenditure on transport and local authority capital programmes.
§ Mr. Nicholas EdwardsSpending levels in the first half of the year indicate that local authorities in Wales are on course to breach the capital cash limit WO/LA1 by about £60 million. The Government recognise that some exceptional factors have contributed to this overspend, the most important of which is the high takeup of home improvement grants. It has been decided to increase the cash limit by £50 million from £298.6 million to £348.6 million and steps are being taken to hold spending at that level.
Spending on the trunk road construction programme is also running well ahead of provision because of
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Admissions to mental illness hospitals and units District of Treatment: Clwyd Age Group County of Residence 0–4 5–9 10–14 15 16–19 20–24 25–34 35–44 45–54 55–64 65–74 75–84 85+ Total MALES Clwyd 0 4 16 4 16 41 154 104 82 73 72 63 5 634 Dyfed 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 2 Gwynedd 0 2 2 2 11 45 76 120 80 51 55 37 3 484 Mid Glamorgan 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 Powys 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 2 0 0 0 4 South Glamorgan 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 Wales (Temp. Accom.) 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 3 0 1 0 5 Wales (no fixed abode) 0 0 0 0 4 6 17 9 5 2 0 0 0 43 England 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 Other 0 0 0 0 2 4 16 4 2 0 0 1 0 29 Total 0 6 19 6 33 97 264 239 172 131 127 102 8 1,204 FEMALES Clwyd 1 0 4 4 18 39 104 136 121 132 134 107 42 842 Dyfed 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 3 Gwynedd 1 0 4 2 13 37 117 87 97 86 91 73 8 616 Mid Glamorgan 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 Powys 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 3 South Glamorgan 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 3 Wales (temp. accom.) 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 2 1 0 5 Wales (no fixed abode) 0 0 0 0 3 2 3 0 2 0 0 0 0 10 Other 0 0 1 0 1 3 9 2 4 4 2 0 1 27 Total 2 0 9 6 35 81 235 227 226 225 232 181 51 1,510 TOTAL: MALES AND FEMALES Clwyd 1 4 20 8 34 20 258 240 203 205 206 170 47 1,476 Dyfed 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 2 0 0 0 0 5 Gwynedd 1 2 6 4 24 82 193 207 177 137 146 110 11 1,100 Mid Glamorgan 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 2 Powys 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 3 1 0 0 7 South Glamorgan 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 0 0 4 Wales (temp. accom.) 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 4 2 2 0 10 Wales (no fixed abode) 0 0 0 0 7 8 20 9 7 2 0 0 0 53 England 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 Other 0 0 1 0 3 7 25 6 6 4 2 1 1 56 Total 2 6 28 12 68 178 499 466 398 356 359 283 59 2714 exceptionally rapid progress on several major schemes. Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimate, the cash limit on Class XVI, Vote 1 is being increased by £17,100,000 from £710,084,000 to £727,184,000 to cover existing contractual commitments.
These cash limit increases will not add to the overall planning total of public expenditure. £63,000,000 is being charged to the Contingency Reserve and the balance of £4,100,000 is being met by offsetting savings. Accordingly the cash limit on Class XVI, Vote 5 is being reduced by £2,700,000 from £49,648,000 to £46,948,000, the cash limit on Class XVI, Vote 7 is being reduced by £400,000 from £30,906,000 to £30,506,000 and the provision for borrowing by the Welsh Development Agency is being reduced by £1,000,000 from £5,250,000 to £4,250,000.