Health Department DEL

HL Deb 28 November 2001 vol 629 cc54-5WA

Baroness Goudie

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether there are any proposals to amend the Department of Health departmental expenditure limit and administration cost limit for 2001–02. [HL1646]

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath

Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimate, the Department of Health departmental expenditure limit (DEL) will be increased by £768,348,000 from £49,805,054,000 to £50,573,402,000 and the administration cost limit will be increased by £9,701,000 from £312,234,000 to £321.935,000. Within the DEL change, the impact on resources and capital are set out in the following table:

of £1,000,000 for research offset by a transfer of £100,000 for a contribution to rural stress action teams. To the Department for Work and Pensions £509,000 for the costs of Care Direct and preserved rights cases. A transfer to the Food Standards Agency of £15,000 (administration costs) for the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition. A change in the level of non-DEL provision for NHS trust depreciation of £240,000,000, now reclassified as part of DEL, and a reallocation from resources to capital of £4,852,000 for costs associated with the National Care Standards Commission and Social Care Institute for Excellence.

The administration cost limit has been increased by £9,701,000 from £312,234,000 to £321,935,000. In addition to the changes detailed above, there is a further net increase of £43,000 comprising an increase in the Medical Device Agency's costs of £223,000 for assessment and evaluation of devices, offset by a reduction of £180,000 in respect of the NHS Appointments Commission.

The change to the capital element of the DEL arises from the take up of end year flexibility of £95,632,000 as set out in Table 6 of the Public Expenditure 2000–01 Provisional Outturn White Paper Cm 5243 published in July 2001. From the Capital Modernisation Fund £50,000,000 to support the NHS capital programme and a reallocation from resource DEL of £4,852,000 and a transfer from the Scottish Executive of £50,000 for a contribution to non-departmental public bodies.

The take up of non-voted supplementary credit approvals for personal social services in England has increased by £423,000 from £18,700,000 to £19,123,000 in respect of the take up of end year flexibility entitlement mentioned above.

The increase will be offset by inter-departmental transfers and will not therefore add to the planned total of public expenditure.