HC Deb 26 February 2002 vol 380 cc1113-4W
Dr. Starkey

To ask the Solicitor-General what plans there are to change the Attorney-General's Department's(a) departmental expenditure limit and (b) administration costs limit for 2001–02. [38770]

The Solicitor-General

Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimates, the Attorney-General's Departments DEL will be increased by £8,681,000 from £451,563,000 to £460,244,000 and the administration costs limits will be increased by £7,731,000 from £322,103,000 to £329,834,000. Within the DEL change, the impact on resources and capital are set out in the following table:

£000
Resources
Change 6,362
New DEL 436,276
of which:
Voted 426,276
Non-voted 10,000
Capital
Change 2,319
New DEL 23,968
Of which:
Voted 23,968
Non-voted —

The Crown Prosecution Service's DEL will be increased by £8,286,000 from £414,893,000 to £423,179,000 and the administration costs limit will be increased by £7,267,000 from £296,974,000 to £304,241,000. The increase in the resource element of the DEL arises from speeding up the reform of the CPS to allow it to contribute fully to criminal justice targets, implementation of extended court sitting hours and the provision of resources for the CPS prosecutor recovered assets training project. The decrease in DEL arises from the transfer of £120,000 to the Home Office in respect of the CPS's contribution to CJIU. The change in the capital element of the DEL arises from the take up of £2,000,000 of end year flexibility entitlement and a transfer of resources from the Home Office to support the video recording of police interviews. The decrease in capital arises from the return to the Home Office of £150,000 of Capital Modernisation Fund resources.

HM Procurator General and Treasury Solicitor's Department DEL will be decreased by £105,000 from £15,745,000 to £15,640,000 and the administration costs limits will be decreased by £36,000 from £10,629,000 to £10,593,000. The decrease in the resource element of the DEL is the net effect of a transfer of £106,000 to clients whose work will become chargeable in the current financial year. The decreases in HM Procurator General and Treasury Solicitor's Department DEL will be effected by a £1,000 Token Supplementary Estimate.

The Serious Fraud Office's DEL will be increased by £500,000 from £20,925,000 to £21,425,000 and the administration costs limit will be increased by £500,000 from £14,415,000 to £14,915,000. The increase in the resource element of the DEL arises from development of the Docman information support system and funding of early retirements in support of restructuring of the Serious Fraud Office to enable it to contribute fully to criminal justice targets.

The increases will be entirely met by a transfer from the Criminal Justice System reserve, transfers from the Home Office and take up of capital end year flexibility entitlement.

The additional expenditure will not add to the planned total of public expenditure.