§ Dr. Lynda ClarkTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what changes he intends to make to the cash limits and running costs provision for 1998–99 within his responsibility. [71122]
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§ Mr. DewarSubject to Parliamentary approval of the necessary supplementary estimates, I intend to make changes to 9 voted cash limits, 1 non-voted cash block and 2 running cost limits:
The cash limit for Class XIII, Vote 1, Agriculture, fisheries and environmental services, Scotland has been increased by £28,503,000 from £253,899,000 to £282,402,000. This Supplementary Estimate is required to take up end year flexibility for capital of £4,000,000 and for agency running costs of £328,000, within the overall Scottish Office running cost limit. It also reflects an additional increase in running costs provision of £162,000 for infectious Salmon Anaemia outbreak, an increase of £21,513,000 for the Scottish share of the increased spending on the 1999 Hill Livestock Compensatory Allowance Scheme, an increase of £3,221,000 for increased expenditure on Agri-environment schemes, and a transfer to MAFF (Class III, Vote 2) of £721,000 being the Scottish contribution towards the costs of the UK BSE Inquiry.
The cash limit for Class XIII, Vote 2, Local Government, Housing, Transport, Other Environmental Services and European Funds, Scotland will be increased by a net total of £40,642,000 from £5,590,865,000 to £5,631,507,000. The change reflects a net increase in Housing of £1,357,000; a net increase of £2,345,000 for Other Environmental Services (which includes £2,049,000 in respect of the Coalfields Regeneration Trust); a net decrease of £8,573,000 for Roads and Transport (which includes a net decrease in provision of £2,900,000 for Motorways and Trunk Roads, a net decrease of £1,773,000 for Transport and a decrease in the grant required by Strathclyde Passenger Transport Authority of £3,900,000); an increase of £202,000 for Historic Scotland (which includes an increase of £44,000 in running costs); an increase of £17,281,000 for Revenue Support Grant (including £13,671,000 for the Spend to Save Scheme); and increase of £612,000 for final claims in respect of the District Equalisation Scheme; and an increase of £27,418,000 in Agency payments on behalf of the European Community to accommodate revised accounting arrangements for European Structural Fund Grants.
The cash limit for Class XIII, Vote 3, Education, industry, arts and libraries, Scotland will be increased by a net total of £7,926,000 from £1,696,507,000 to £1,704,433,000. The net increase takes account of a transfer of £2,606,000 to Class XIII, Vote 4 in respect of the University of Edinburgh Medical School, a transfer of £600,000 to SO/LA1 in respect of advanced factory provision, a transfer of £35,000 from Class XIII, Vote 2 in respect of Livingston Development Corporation, a transfer of £11,026,000 from reductions in Water Authorities EFLs and a transfer of £71,000 from Class XIII, Vote 6 in respect of additional administration costs for the Scottish Office Pensions Agency. There will also be a number of intra-vote transfers to take account of presentational requirements.
The cash limit for Class XIII, Vote 4, Hospital, community health, family health, other health services and welfare food, Scotland, will be increased by a net total of £33,876,000 from £3,997,607,000 to £4,031,483,000. The increase includes the cash limit increase of £22,246,000 announced on 3 November in respect of additional expenditure to reduce the effect of winter pressures on the 373W NHS; a transfer of £109,000 to Class XII, Vote 3 to meet the systems and operational set-up costs in preparation of the new arrangements to be provided for in the Road Traffic Accident Bill; a transfer of £2,606,000 from Class XIII, Vote 3 in respect of the unused element of the capital costs of providing teaching facilities resulting from the relocation of Edinburgh University Medical School; a transfer of £60,000 to Class XIII, Vote 6 for increased expenditure by the Mental Welfare Commission; a transfer of £14,000 to Class X1, Vote 2 for Scotland's contribution to the funding for the United Kingdom Xenotransplantation Interim Regulatory Authority: a transfer of £52,000 to Class XI, Vote 2 for Scotland's contribution towards the National Screening Committee; a transfer of £12,000 to Class XIII, Vote 5 for part funding for the appointment of the COSLA Drugs Co-ordinator; and some adjustments to reflect increased receipts from National Insurance Contributions and increased refunds from of Value Added Tax. The NHS Trusts' External Financing Limit has also been decreased by £14,175,000 from -£13,343,000 to -£27,518,000.
The overall increase for Class XIII, Vote 5, Law, order and protective services, police grant and social work services, Scotland, is £1,000. The cash limit has been increased by £5,538,000 from £671,549,000 to £677,087,000 and the gross running costs provision has been increased by £2,380,000 from £149,319,000 to £151,699,000. The cash limit increase takes account of a £1,500,000 increase for grants for asylum seekers and a £2,000,000 increase for publicity costs relating to the Scottish Parliamentary Elections. The changes also include transfers amounting to £800,000 to the Class VIII, Vote 7, The Crown Office, Scotland for ECHR cases, postal citations and for Lockerbie trial costs. There was also a transfer of £100,000 to Class XIII, Vote 9, Administration of Justice, Scotland and an increase in Section N both for Lockerbie trial costs. The Chief Secretary to the Treasury has agreed that access will be provided to the Reserve to assist in meeting the costs of the Lockerbie trial. A further transfer of £816,000 was received from SO/LA1 for additional funding on section G, police, section I fire and section M, social work services. There will also be a number of minor inter and intra Vote transfers.
The cash limit for Class XIII, Vote 6, Scottish Office Administration, will be increased by £1,247,000 from £163,310,000 to £164,557,000. Within this total the gross running cost provision for Scottish Office Administration is being increased by £4,771,000 from £136,057,000 to £140,828,000. This increase includes end year flexibility of £982,000, a transfer to £140,828,000. This increase includes end year flexibility of £982,000, a transfer of £405,000 from Class IV, Vote 2, Ministry of Agriculture, Fishers and Food, to fund work carried out on the cattle tracing scheme, alterations to the treatment of receipts from recoverable VAT, virement from the capital subhead of £2,260,000 and a transfer of £71,000 to Class XIII, Vote 3 in respect of additional administration costs for the Scottish Office Pensions Agency. The additional running costs provision is required primarily to meet running costs pressures associated with the establishment of the Scottish Parliament. Provision for capital expenditure is reduced by £2,065,000 from £31,030,000 to £28,965,000. Provision for other current expenditure is being increased by £60,000 from £4,961,000 to £5,021,000 to finance ongoing IT purchases by the Mental Welfare Commission 374W for Scotland. The change in treatment of VAT and European Fast Stream receipts has resulted in an increase of appropriations-in-aid of £1,519,000 from £8,738,000 to £10,257,000.
The cash limit for Class XIII, Vote 7, General Register Office for Scotland, will be increased by a token amount of £1,000 from £5,477,000 to £5,478,000. Within this total the running cost provision has been increased by £150,000 from £7,503,000 to £7,653,000 and a corresponding increase in appropriations-in-aid from £2,402,000 to £2,552,000. This supplementary is required to accommodate the change in treatment of recoverable VAT receipts.
The cash limit for Class XIII, Vote 8; Scottish Record Office has been increased by a token amount of £1,000 from £4,072,000 to £4,073,000. This supplementary is required to give the authority to incur expenditure and receive income associated with the Scottish and European Archive Network.
The overall increase for Class XIII, Vote 9 is £2,900,000, which is for expenditure associated with the Lockerbie trial. The Chief Secretary to the Treasury has agreed that access will be provided to the Reserve to assist in meeting these costs.
The Scottish Office running cost limit will increase by £4,165,000 from £336,491,000 to £340,656,000.
The Water Programme has been reduced by a net £12.6m arising from the postponement of the Hyundai Project. The External Finance Limit for each of the Scottish Water Authorities has been adjusted as follows:
£ million Authority Existing EFL New EFL North of Scotland Water 55.582 55.514 East of Scotland Water 58,985 55.345 West of Scotland Water 71.389 71.401 SO/LA1
The non-voted cash limit SO/LA 1 which covers non-housing capital expenditure by local authorities will be reduced by a net total of £13,539,000 from £367,677,000 to £354,138,000. The reduction reflects transfers out of £12,471,000 to Class XIII, Vote 2 for Revenue Support Grant, £168,000 to Class XIII, Vote 2 for the Central Government Challenge Fund, £626,000 to non-voted Election Expenditure, £58,000 to Class XIII, Vote 1 and £816,000 to Class XIII, Vote 5 to cover pressures and a transfer in of £600,000 from Class XIII, Vote 3 in respect of assistance for Borders Council.
§ Mrs. McKennaTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if the Lord Advocate proposes any changes to the Crown Office cash and running cost limits. [71123]
§ Mr. DewarSubject to Parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimate the cash limit for Class VIII, Vote 7 will be increased by £1,500,000 from £49,193,000 to £50,693,000. Within this total the running cost limit will be increased from £47,455,000 to £49,005,000. The Supplementary is required to meet the Department' s ongoing commitment to the Law and Order programme in Scotland and additional costs of preparatory work in holding criminal justice proceedings 375W in a third country (Lockerbie trial), additional costs relating to the Department's commitment to the European Convention on Human Rights initiatives. These additional costs will be met in the main from the Scottish Block though £400,000 is in respect of end year flexibility arrangements for capital and running costs as announced by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on 14 July 1998, Official Report, columns 131–36.