§ Mr. Watkinsonasked the Minister of Overseas Development whether there have been any changes in the continuing arrangements designed to avoid under-spending of the aid programme which were announced by her predecessor.
§ Mrs. HartMy predecessor announced that, subject to parliamentary authority for any necessary supplementary Vote, it would be possible for the Department to exceed the agreed total expenditure on the aid programme in a given financial year by up to £5 million and, with Treasury approval, to carry forward674W under-spending of up to £5 million into the following year. It has now been arranged that the aid programme may be exceeded in any one year by up to £10 million, such excess to be deducted from the following year's programme unless there are special reasons for spreading it over later years covered by the Public Expenditure White Paper. Under-spending may now automatically be carried forward up to a total of £5 million, and this amount may, with Treasury agreement, be increased by a further £5 million in appropriate circumstances.