§ Helen JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what proposals there are to amend the departmental expenditure limit and gross running costs limit for 1999–2000. [86982]
§ Mr. MudieSubject to Parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimates for Class 1, Vote 1 (Department for Education and Employment: programmes and central services and Vote 4 (Office of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools), the Departmental Expenditure Limit for 1999–2000 (excluding Welfare to Work) will be decreased by £30,800,000 from £15,702,326,000 to £15,671,526,000.
The decrease is the result of a transfer of £30,800,000 to Class XIV, Vote 1 (the Welsh Office) to take account of the change to student support arrangements following the Dearing Review.
The voted element of the Departmental Expenditure Limit (excluding Welfare to Work) will be increased by £46,200,000 from £14,350,774,000 to £14,396,974,000 as a result of the transfer mentioned above and a switch of £77,000,000 from credit approvals to Class 1, Vote 1 in connection with the provision of schools capital. The increase of £77,000,000 will be offset by a matching reduction in the non-voted element of the Departmental Expenditure Limit from £1,351,552,000 to £1,274,552,000.
The Supplementary Estimates also include a transfer of £500,000 from Vote 1 to Vote 4 in connection with the inspection of nursery education for three-year olds. This transfer has no effect on the Departmental Expenditure Limit.
The Departmental running costs limit (excluding Welfare to Work) will be reduced by £200,000 from £1,042,410,000 to £1,042,210,000 as a result of a switch of that amount into the Youth Advocates programme.