§ Mr. John SmithTo ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what proposals he has to change the 1998–99 cash limit or running costs limit for the Cabinet Office: Administration and Cabinet Office: Other Services Votes. [58090]
§ Dr. Jack CunninghamSubject to parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimates
The cash limit for Cabinet Office: administration (Class XVII, Vote 1) will be increased by £34,937,000 from £119,119,000 to £154,056,000 and the running costs limit will be increased by £7,840,000 from £55,063,000 to £62,903,000.The cash limit for Cabinet Office: other services (Class XVIII, Vote 1) will be increased by £6,825,000 from £42,531,000 to £49,356,000 and the running costs limit will be increased by £5,945,000 from £42,694,000 to £48,639,000.This is to take account of the following:
End Year FlexibilityAs announced by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on 14 July 1998, Official Report, columns 131–36, the Cabinet Office: administration Vote is eligible for a cash limit increase of £24,965,000 and a running costs increase of £13,909,000 in respect of end year flexibility arrangements for capital and running costs. The Cabinet Office: other services Vote is eligible for a cash limit and running costs increase of £1,232,000 under the same scheme, including and amount of £75,000 transferred from the Privy Council Office (Class XVIII, Vote 3) for the Central Drugs Co-ordination Unit.This Supplementary gives effect to the increases. The cash limit and running costs limit of the Cabinet Office: administration Vote will be increased by £19,600,000 and £8,544,000 respectively. The cash limit and running costs limit of the Cabinet Office: other services Vote will be increased by £1,232,000. The remaining entitlement of £5,365,000 will be surrendered to the Treasury, to partly offset increased provision for the programme to modernise government.Modernisation of GovernmentThe Cabinet Office has received increased provision of £21,097,000 for the programme to modernise government, which was announced by the Prime Minister in a Written Statement on 28 July 1998, Official Report, columns 132–34. This includes £16,300,000 to the Cabinet Office: administration Vote for combating the millennium bug, a new Centre for Management and Policy Studies, and a relocation project; and 401W £4,797,000 to the Cabinet Office: other services Vote for strengthening the Prime Minister's Office, work on social exclusion, strategic communications and constitutional reform, and a new Performance and Innovation Unit.Machinery of Government and Other ChangesThe Cabinet Office: other services Vote has taken over responsibility for the Central Drugs Co-ordination Unit from the Privy Council Office (Class XVIII, Vote 3) (increased provision of £553,000, offset by a transfer payment from the Privy Council Office).Responsibility for the Freedom of Information Unit has been transferred from the Cabinet Office: administration Vote to the Home Office (Class VII, Vote 1) (a transfer payment of £439,000 to the Home Office, offset by reduced provision).The ownership of certain buildings has been transferred from Cabinet Office: administration Vote to the Department of Health (Class XII, Vote 2) (£20,000) and DETR (Class VI, Vote 3) (£147,000).Responsibility for the Office of the Minister Without Portfolio has been transferred from the Cabinet Office: other services Vote to the Cabinet Office: administration Vote (a transfer payment of £368,000, offset by increases and reductions to provision).The Cabinet Office: other services Vote has received a transfer of £796,000 from the Cabinet Office: administration Vote for jointly administered common services.The increases will be offset by transfers or charged to the Reserve, and will not therefore add to the planned total of public expenditure.