§ Mr. KeyTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement about the changes to the class 1 cash limits and defence operating costs limit for 1996–97. [2375]
§ Mr. SoamesSubject to parliamentary approval of the winter supplementary estimates, the following changes will be made:270W
£000s Class 1 vote Current cash limit Change Revised cash limit 1 11,005,788 -10,891 10,994,897 2 4,662,170 25,000 4,687,170 3 5,761,870 288,000 6,049,870 The changes to class 1, votes 2 and 3 reflect the take up of entitlement to end-year flexibility. The reduction on class 1, vote 1 reflects the net effect of transfers to other Government Departments. In addition entitlement to end-year flexibility on class 1, vote I has, in accordance with Supply procedure, been funded through the partial appropriation of receipts from the sale of the MOD married quarters estate in England and Wales. The balance of the receipt from the sale will be brought to vote, subject to parliamentary approval, in the 1996–97 spring supplementary estimate.
The final outturn on the Ministry of Defence cash limit in 1995–96 was £21,522 million which was £48 million higher than the provisional outturn announced in Cmnd 3318. The Minister of Defence's entitlement to carry forward provision under the Defence operating costs and capital costs schemes has, therefore, been reduced by £48 million over the totals announced on 12 July, Official Report, columns 326–31. Thus all of the Ministry of Defence's entitlements to end-year flexibility arising the 1994–95 and 1995–96 will have been brought onto vote through the 1996–97 winter supplementary estimate. A total of £142 million of the additional provision on vote 3 in the winter supplementary estimate has been drawn down from provision eligible for carry forward under the Defence operating costs scheme.
The impact of these changes on the Ministry of Defence operating costs limit is as follows:
£000s Class 1 vote Current cash limit Change Revised cash limit 1 11,000.243 -10,891 10,989,352 2 4,662,170 25,000 4,687,170 3 806,347 — 806,347