§ Dr. TwinnTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what proposals he has to change the cash limits of his Department for 1995–96. [40211]
§ Mr. Roger EvansSubject to parliamentary approval of the necessary supplementary estimate, the cash limit for class XIII, vote 3 will be increased by £14,566,000 from £403,139,000 to £417,705,000.
The revision takes account of the new scheme for private sector tenants from 2 January 1996 and provides for subsidies to local authorities in respect of discretionary spending on rent allowances—£2.5 million—above the maximum rent; for subsidies to housing and local authorities towards the cost of administering the housing benefit scheme and for subsidies to charging and levying authorities towards the costs of administering the council tax benefit scheme—£12,066,000.
The increase will be charged to the reserve and will not, therefore, add to the planned total of public expenditure.