Administration (Hansard, 4 March 1994)

§ Mr. Morgan
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when he will provide a substantive answer to the question tabled by the hon. Member for Cardiff, West for answer on 16 December concerning the administrative expenditure of his Department.

§ Mr. Waldegrave
I have replied to the hon. Member today.

§ Mr. Morgan
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what was the total expenditure by his Department on administration in 1992–93; what is the estimated outturn for expenditure by his Department on administration for 1993–94 in (i) cash terms and (ii) real terms in 1992–93 prices; and what is his estimate for expenditure on administration by his Department for 1994–95 in(a) cash terms and (b) 1992–93 prices.

§ Mr. Waldegrave
The final outturn for the recurrent costs of running the Office of Public Service and Science in 1992–93 is £26.490 million. The estimated outturn for 1993–94 is (i) £59.044 million in cash terms and (ii) £57.185 million in real terms. My Department's planned running cost expenditure for 1994–95 will be published in March 1994 in the Cabinet Office Departmental report. I expect this expenditure will be about £65 million in cash terms—£60 million in real terms.
The increase in cash expenditure between 1992–93 and 1993–94, estimated, is attributable mainly to the transfer to OPSS of provision for the Government centre for information systems from the Treasury, citizens charter and the Science and Technology Secretariat from the Cabinet Office and science branch from the then Department of Education and Science.
The increase in expenditure between 1993–94, estimated, and plans for 1994–95 is attributable mainly to the cost of relocating the Government Centre for Information Systems to Norwich, and increased spending on the European fast stream programme. Provision for future years may change if a rationalisation of functions, currently under consideration, between the Cabinet Office: other services vote, class XIX, vote 1 and the Office of Public Service and Science vote, class XVIII, vote 1 is implemented.