§ Mr. Cartwrightasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what are the consequences for the cash limits for expenditure by his Department in 1976–77 of the decision to start work now on providing accommodation for the proposed Scottish and Welsh Assemblies.
§ Mr. FreesonAs announced in the House on 14th April 1976 the Property Services Agency has been authorised to take steps to have the necessary buildings ready for use in the spring of 1978. This will involve extra expenditure estimated at £4 million in total, of which it is expected that £1,400,000 will be incurred in 1976–77. As this decision was made after the 1976–77 Estimates and the related cash limits were drawn up, they do not include any allowance for this expenditure. The Supplementary Estimates, which have just been laid before Parliament, therefore include provision 273W to increase Class XIV Vote 1 Subhead E.1 by £1,400,000, and Cash Block DOE 6 will be increased by the same amount This is one of the changes within the planned total of public expenditure for 1976–77—as set out in Cmnd. 6393—notified in the Treasury memorandum of 21st May to the Expenditure Committee (HC 461-i).