Cash Limits (Hansard, 27 October 1989)

§ Mr. Ridley

Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimates, the cash limit for class V, vote 3 (administration, regulation of domestic trade and industry, and consumer protection) will be increased by £4,951,000 from £243,230,000 to £248,181,000. The increase covers provision of £3,500,000 for the acquisition of a site in Teddington for the National Physical Laboratory (offset by a corresponding reduction in class V, vote 2), and reflects the take-up of entitlement to carry forward provision for an underspending in 1988–89 under the end-year flexibility arrangements as announced by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on 20 July 1989. The full entitlements of £813,000 on capital expenditure and £1,251,000 on running costs are taken up. These increases are partially offset by a net transfer of £613,000 to the Central Statistical Office (CSO) (Class XIX Vote 18) in respect of staff recently transferred to the CSO. As a result of these changes, the running cost limit for the department has been increased by £338,000 from £304,760,000 to £305,098,000. The net effect of these changes will be charged to the Reserve and will not therefore add to the planned total of public expenditure.

The cash limit for class V, vote 2 (support for industry) will be reduced by £7,800,000 from £578,637,000 to 646W £570,837,000. This reduction reflects the offset for the increase of £3,500,000 on class V, vote 3 in respect of the Teddington acquisition: it also covers a reduction of £4,000,000 to reflect the transfer of responsibility for city action teams to the Department of the Environment class V, vote 3, and a reduction of £300,000 to reflect the transfer of responsibility for the Government's contribution to a rent subsidy for the international sugar and wheat organisations to the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food class IV, vote 4.