§ Mr. Alfred Morrisasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list in the Official Report, the amount of the Contingencies Fund in each financial year since he took office, together with the purposes for which it has been used in each year and the amounts allocated for each purpose; what is the level of the Contingencies Fund for the financial year 1982–83; what commitments have already been set against it; and whether there has been any change in policy in connection with the use of the fund during the present Government.
§ Sir Geoffrey HoweUnder the Contingencies Fund Act 1974 the capital of the Contingencies Fund shall not 377W at any time exceed an amount equal to 2 per cent. of the authorised Supply expenditure for the previous financial year. This amount, the purposes for which the fund has been used, and the amounts used, are given in the following table. Gross advances from the fund during a year as a whole may be greater than the capital limit. This is because sums repaid to the fund may be re-used, provided the limit is not exceeded at any one time. The audited accounts for 1979–80 were published on 16 April 1981—HC 300—and those for 1980–81 on 5 April 1982—HC 261. The annual accounts contain further details of transactions during the year.
The limit on the capital of the fund at any one time in 1982–83 is £1.526 million. Advances outstanding on 1
1979–80 1980–81 *1981.82 Limit on the capital of the Fund at any one time 937 1,093 1,355 The purposes for which the Fund has been used are as follows: 1. In anticipation of votes of Parliament (a) to meet expenditure in excess of the amount granted in the Vote on Account 36 333 90 (b) to meet expenditure during the Vote on Account period on new services for which provision has been made in the original Estimate — 16 — (c) to meet expenditure on unforeseen new services 17 19 84 (d) to meet expenditure in excess of the provision on those subheads which may not be financed from savings on other subheads† 34 — — (e) to meet further expenditure on existing services when the cash provision on the Vote is exhausted† 216 633 385 (f) to meet expenditure to be financed ultimately from receipts pending the accrual of those receipts — 11 32 (g) to finance working balances over the turn of the financial year 138 128 179 (h) To meet stamp duties remitted in respect of public departments etc, and other expenses 1 1 1 2. In anticipation of revenue (if repayments and other expenditure on a particular day exceed receipts) Customs and Excise 790 1,077 1,494 Inland Revenue 73 569 352 Total 1,305 2,787 2,617 * Provisional † The definitions of categories (d) and (e) to some extent overlap and, where this has occurred, advances have been attributed to the more relevant category.