§ Mr. ReedTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proposals he has for changes to the 1998–99 cash and running costs limits within his responsibilities. [58109]
§ Mr. StrawSubject to Parliamentary approval of the necessary token Supplementary Estimate, the cash limit for Class VII, Vote 1 (Home Office administration, police probation, immigration and other services, England and Wales) will be reduced by £2,588,000 from £4,836,378,000 to £4,833,351,000 and the running costs limit inside the control total will be increased by £3,981,000 from £1,883,450,000 to £1,887,431,000.
389WThe changes in the cash limit are the net effect of the following transfers: £193,000 from the Cabinet Office, Class XVIII, Vote 2 in relation to Communications Electronics Security Group charges; £1,153,000 to the Crown Prosecution Service, Class VIII, Vote 4 and £1,648,000 to the Lord Chancellor's Department Class VIII, Vote 1 in respect of costs relating to the Crime and Disorder Act; £14,000 to the Scottish Office, Class XIII, Vote 5 and £4,000 to the Northern Ireland Office, Class XV, Vote 1 in respect of the European Year Against Racism. The Supplementary Estimate will also cover transfer of responsibility for the Freedom of Information Unit from the Cabinet Office, Class XVII, Vote 1.
The increase in the running costs limit is the net effect of payments of £3,500,000 from the Metropolitan Police, £442,000 from the Cabinet Office, £95,000 from the Welsh Office for information services and from the Northern Ireland Office for legal services and £39,000 from the Lord Chancellor's Department.
The increases will be offset by transfers and will not therefore add to the planned total of public expenditure.