HC Deb 04 February 1997 vol 289 cc533-4W
Ms Corston

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what has been the value of grants and financial support(a) disbursed and (b) administered by the Government office for the south-west for each year since its inception. [13881]

Mr. Curry

Information on GOSW's programme expenditure for 1994–95 and 1995–96 is contained in the office's annual reports. I have arranged for copies to be sent to the hon. Lady.

The figures for funding administered through the Government office, as recorded in the annual reports, were: 1994–95—£293.835 million; 1995–96—£324.463 million. The budget for 1996–97 is £388.363 million. This excludes European funding which is not administered on a fiscal basis. The precise manner in which funding is disbursed differs between individual programmes.

Ms Corston

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what have been the(a) capital and (b) administration costs of the Government office for the south west in (i) Bristol and (ii) Plymouth for each year since its establishment. [13880]

Mr. Curry

GOSW's running cost expenditure for 1994–95 and 1995–96 is contained in the office's annual reports. I have arranged for copies to be sent to the hon. Lady. More detailed information is available in GO-MINIS 1 and 2, copies of which are available in the Library of this House.

For 1994–95 records are not split between Bristol and Plymouth because funding was via the 4 Departments and not through the single accounting system. Capital costs were nil and the final outturn for administrative expenditure was £6,778,000. In 1995–96 the published costs are: £317,000 capital spend in Bristol, £44,700 capital spend in Plymouth; £5,802,400 Bristol and £1,866,300 Plymouth administrative expenditure. To date, the budget allocations for 1996–97 are: for capital spend £68,200 Bristol and £48,300 Plymouth; for administration, £5,252,100 Bristol and £1,886,000 Plymouth.