Cash Limits (Hansard, 1 November 1993)

§ Mr. Lang

Yes. Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary supplementary estimates I intend to make changes to six voted cash limits, two running costs limits and in addition the two non-voted cash blocks:—

(a) The cash limit for class XIV, vote 3, training programmes, roads and transport services and industrial support, Scotland, will be increased by £17,437,000 from £728,557,000 to £745,994,000. The increase takes account of an increase in provision of £8,650,000 for grant payments to Caledonian MacBrayne Ltd (offset by a reduction in the company's market borrowing); a transfer of provision of £800,000 from class XIV, vote 17; an increase in provision of £7,287,000 for Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise, for the package of employment and training measures announced by the Chancellor in his Budget statement on 16 March 1993, Official Report, cols 169 to 196; a transfer of £1,077,000 provision in respect of Department of Employment employment action; and the uptake of end-year flexibility as announced by the Chief Secretary on 14 July 1993, Official Report columns 512–17.
(b) The cash limit for class XIV, vote 7, housing and environmental services, Scotland will be increased by £152,000 from £418,807,000 to £418,959,000. The increase takes account of a £282,000 increase in provision for running costs as a result of a transfer of £96,000 from class XIV, vote 21; £56,000 as part take-up by Historic Scotland of the Scottish Office end-year flexibility entitlement for running costs; and £130,000 which is covered by a corresponding increase in Appropriations in Aid.
(c) The cash limit for class XIV, vote 12, law, order, miscellaneous health and social work services, Scotland, will be increased by £2,829,000 from 72 £280,703,000 to £283,532,000. The major elements are transfers of provision for running costs; lower than forecast appropriations in aid in respect of the Scottish Prison Service; a £181,000 increase in provision for the Orkney inquiry offset by a corresponding reduction in social work services: and the uptake of end-year flexibility.
(d) The cash limit for class XIV, vote 17, education, arts and libraries, Scotland, will be increased by £1,806,000 from £761,903,000 to £763,709,000. The increase reflects the full uptake of end-year flexibility of £2,606,000, partially offset by a transfer of provision of £800,000 to class XIV, vote 3.
(e) The cash limit for class XIV, vote 21, Scottish Office Administration, will be increased by £1,019,000 from £163,417,000 to £164,436,000. This increase results from additional running cost resources of £600,000 taken up within the agreed limit for 1993–94 offset by a series of inter-Vote transfers totalling £286,000; and take up of £705,000 under end-year flexibility arrangements for running costs. Additional resources will be used to meet increased ERNIC costs, spending on staff and development of information systems to administer reformed EC schemes of agricultural support, making the Scottish Office more accessible through local contact points and telephone enquiry lines and offsetting loss of income from the intervention board.
(f) The cash limit for class XIV, vote 22, Scottish Record Office, will be increased by £67,000 from £10,202,000 to £10,269,000. Within this total, the running cost limit is increased by £15,000 following a transfer from class XIV, vote 21. There is also £52,000 for the uptake of end-year flexibility on capital expenditure. The additional provision will contribute to the cost of installing and running an automatic intruder and flood detection system.
(g) The non-voted cash limit SO/LA1, which covers non-housing capital expenditure by local authorities, is to be increased by £30,604,000 from £590,156,000 to £620,760,000. This reflects full take-up of end year flexibility amounting to £32,604,000 along with a reduction of existing net capital allocations amounting to £2,000,000 to balance an increase on class XIV, vote 8, local environmental services and housing.
(h) The non-voted cash limit SO/LA2, which covers housing capital expenditure by local authorities and capital expenditure by new towns, will be increased by £11,019,000 from £264,395,000 to £275,414,000. The increase takes account of a reduction of £2,000,000 as a result of a transfer to class XIV, vote 11; and an increase of £13,019,000 as a result of the take-up of end-year flexibility entitlement.
(i) The Scottish Office running cost limit will be increased by £2,369,000 from £330,487,000 to £332,856,000. This results from take up of end-year flexibility totalling £1,339,000; a transfer out of £15,000 to 73 Scottish Record Office; a transfer in of £15,000 to Scottish Prison Service from the Office of Public Service and Science (Class XVIII, Vote 1); £900,000 to cope with increased prison population and administrative work arising from CAP Reforms and the. White Paper "Scotland in the Union"; and an increase of £130,000 for Historic Scotland covered by additional income earned this year.

These increases will be offset by savings on other votes and cash limits within my responsibility and by claims on the Reserve. There will not therefore be any addition to the planned total of public expenditure.