§ Mr. Charles WardleTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement about the 1987–88 running cost limit for the Northern Ireland Office and the Northern Ireland Departments.
§ Mr. StanleyI have reviewed the running cost requirements for Northern Ireland Departments and the Northern Ireland Office for 1987–88 and I have agreed that the running cost limit should be increased by £4.187 million from £476.762 million, which I announced on 23 July 1987, to £480.949 million. This mainly reflects additional requirements for prisons and social security. It includes also provision for additional costs to Northern Ireland Departments of administering certain programmes on behalf of the International Fund for Ireland, and a 673W transfer of £80,000 from the Department of Transport to the Department of the Environment (NI) in respect of vehicle licensing. The necessary resources will be found from within existing public expenditure provision or, in the case of the international fund, receipts.