HC Deb 02 February 1995 vol 253 cc843-4W
Mr. French

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what changes she plans to make to the cash limits of her Department in 1994–95.

Mrs. Virginnia Bottomley

The cash limit for class XII, vote 1—hospital, community health, family health services, part, and related services, England—will be increased by £9,076,000—from £21,734,116,000 to £21,743,792,000. This allows for an increase of £11,287,000 to the external financing limits of national health service trusts—£25,887,000 in respect of 1993–94 external financing limit end-year flexibility carryforward less £14,600,000 financed from trusts own cash balances—partially offset by transfers of £1,457,000 to class XII, vote 3—Department of Health, administration, miscellaneous health services and personal social services, England—for the work of the Health Education Authority; for part-time training posts for career registrars in the public health laboratory service and a grant towards the renovation of Tadworth Court hospital; £116,000 to class XIV, vote 18—Student awards, Scotland—for orthoptic clinical placements of Glasgow Caledonian university students; £11,000 to—Department of Health and Social Services, Northern Ireland—and £27,000 to class XV, vote 8—hospital, community health, family health services, part, and related services, Wales—for the national poisons information service.

The cash limit for class XII, vote 3—Department of Health, administration, miscellaneous health services and personal social services, England—will be reduced by £1,369,000—from £1,591,256,000 to £1,589,887,000. This reduction allows for a transfer of £2,946,000 to class X, vote 2—higher and further education—for the conversion of social work training courses. The overall decrease is partially offset by a transfer of £1,457,000 from class XII, vote 1 as mentioned above and £120,000 from class XIV, vote 14—hospital, community health, part, and other health services, Scotland—for the work of the clinical standards advisory group.

The Department's gross running cost limit will be reduced by £5,655,000 from £257,853,000 to £252,198,000. This reflects a reallocation of £4,800,000 for capital works, £625,000 for the work of the Mental Health Act Commission and £230,000 for the national aids helpline.

All increases will either be offset by savings, increased receipts or transfers to or from other votes and will not therefore add to the planned total of pubic expenditure.

Overall the external financing limit for NHS trusts is increased by £42,190,000 from £588,264,000 to £630,454,000.