HC Deb 11 February 1999 vol 325 cc420-2W
Dr. Starkey

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what changes are proposed to his Department's cash and running costs limits for Class IV Vote 2, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, for 1998–99.

Mr. Nick Brown

Subject to the Ministry's Spring Supplementary Estimate being agreed be Parliament, the Cash limit for Class IV Vote 2 for 1998–99 will be increased by £35,523,000 from £711,300,000 to £746,823,000 and the Gross Running Cost Control limit will be increased by £6,637,000 from £355,230,000 to £361,867,000.

The changes are accounted for by transfers of £813,000 to the Department of Trade and Industry (Class V, Vote 2) for payments to the Biotechnology and Biological Science Research Council and £440,000 to the Scottish Office (Class XIII, Vote 6) and £200,000 to the Welsh Office (Class XIV, Vote 3) for the costs of the Cattle Traceability System; transfers of £2,163,000 from the Department of Health (Class XI, Vote 2), £721,000 from the Scottish Office (Class XIII, Vote 1), £349,000 from the Welsh Office (Class XIV, Vote 3), and 360,000 from the Northern Ireland Office, as their contributions towards the cost of the BSE Inquiry and, £4,000 from the Treasury Solicitors (Class VIII, Vote 6); calls on the reserve of £15,268,000 to cover the Ministry's share of increases to Hill Livestock Compensatory Allowances, £19,720,000, with a corresponding increase in EC receipts, to cover the Ministry's share of increases to the Suckler Cow Premium Scheme, £6,451,000 to cover the cost of the Offspring Cull and Date-Based Export System and £11,660,000 for the take-up of End-Year Flexibility.