HC Deb 15 February 1984 vol 54 cc195-6W
Mr. Ottaway

asked the Under-Secretary of State answering in respect of the Arts what changes have been made to the cash limits for 1983–84 for the arts and libraries programme in Class X, Votes 12 to 22.

Mr. Waldegrave

Changes in arts and libraries cash limits, mainly on account of the general cash limit reductions for 1983–84, were announced in my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Leicester, East (Mr. Bruinvels) on 27 July 1983 at c. 433–34. A further change, in respect of an additional allocation to the Arts Council in 1983–84 to enable the accumulated deficits of the opera and Royal Shakespeare companies to be written off, was announced in my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Loughborough (Mr. Dorrell) on 20 December 1983 at c. 121–122.

In addition, the 1983–84 cash limit for the Victoria and Albert museum—Class X Vote 14—has been reduced by £37,000 from the figure of £10,352,000—announced separately on 27 July at c. 441—to £10,315,000. This net change comprises.

  1. (a) a reduction of £67,000 in respect of the corresponding overspend on the museum's 1982–83 cash limit (this is a revision of the figure of £41,000 announced on 27 July 1983); and
  2. (b) an increase of £30,000 in respect of the Slide library, which has been transferred to the museum from the Museums and Galleries Commission with effect from 30 December 1983.

Item (b) is offset by a corresponding reduction in the provision for the Commission required on Class X Vote 21. Accordingly, the cash limit on that Vote has been reduced by £30,000 from the figure of £111,800,000 announced on 20 December to £111,770,000.

Account will be taken of these adjustments as appropriate in the Supplementary Estimates to be laid before Parliament shortly.

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