HL Deb 26 February 2002 vol 631 cc210-1WA
Baroness Thornton

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether there are any plans to change the departmental expenditure limit (DEL) and the administration costs limits for 2001–02. [HL2902]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Amos):

Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimate, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office DEL will be increased by £32,584,000 from £1,362,704,000 to £1,395,288,000 and the administration costs limits will be increased by £34,335,000 from £634,598,000 to £668,933,000. Within the DEL change, the impact on resources and capital are as set out in the following table:

  1. (ix) a PES transfer from the Ministry of Defence of £125,000 relating to funding for Ascension Island;
  2. (x) a PES transfer to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport of £2,000,000 towards the cost of mounting the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester;
  3. (xi) an increase of £2,145,000 in the FCO's departmental unallocated pool for conflict prevention to reflect an increase in funding levels;
  4. (xii) a PES transfer from the Department for International Development of £18,837,000 to reflect revisions to funding arrangements for conflict prevention;
  5. (xiii) a PES transfer to the Ministry of Defence of £15,000,000 to reflect revisions to funding arrangements for conflict prevention;
  6. (xiv) a PES transfer from the Department for International Development of £1,750,000 to reflect revisions to funding arrangements for conflict prevention.

The change in the capital element of DEL arises from:

  1. (i) an increase of £1,200,000 to capital to reflect a successful bid against the Capital Modernisation Fund;
  2. (ii) an increase of £828,000 in respect of an adjustment for overseas price movements;
  3. (iii) an increase of £16,900,000 as a result of a reserve claim for September 11 related activity;
  4. (iv) a decrease of £18,944,000 to reflect transfers from capital to resource in order to improve budgetary flexibility.

The increases will be offset by interdepartmental transfers and will not impact on the planned total of public expenditure.