§ Lord James Douglas-Hamiltonasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement about reductions in his Department's cash limits for 1983–84.
§ Mr. YoungerThe revised cash limits and nationalised industries external financing limits announced yesterday by my right hon. Friend the Chief Secretary show a total reduction in those for which I am responsible of £32.821 million — £31.271 million in cash limits and £1.55 million in EFLs. The total figure is rather lower than the provisional estimate of around £40 million which I gave in reply to the right hon. Member for Glasow, Rutherglen (Mr. MacKenzie) on 12 July. My total cash limits as adjusted amount to nearly £2,500 million. The bulk of the reduction will be achieved by rephasing capital projects and foregoing planned growth.
Of the total reduction in cash limits, just under £16.4 million will be found by reducing cash limited provision for health. To achieve this, the allocations made to health boards to meet their current expenditure commitments will be reduced by 1 per cent. to provide £12.1 million: the health capital programme will be reduced by £2 million; and the remaining £2.3 million will be fund by economies in centrally managed health programmes. The bulk of the savings of £4.852 million on the Roads, Transport and Environmental Services Vote — (Class XV, 6)— will come from spending on motorways and trunk roads, which will be reduced by £4.16 million. This reduction can be achieved without any significant long-term effect on the programme. The reduction of £2.730 million in cash limit SO/LA2 falls on the capital programmes of the Housing Corporation and the new towns.
I do not propose to alter the cash limits in my law and order programme.