§ Mr. Dorrellasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether any changes have occurred in his Department's cash limits for 1984–85.
§ Mr. WhitneySubsequent to the revisions to the 1984–85 cash limits resulting from the abolition of the national insurance surcharge the cash limit for class II, vote 3, BBC external services will be increased by £1,200,000 from £78,544,000 to £79,744,000. The extra money will be used for the rephasing of the BBC's audibility programme. The increase will be found from class II vote 1, "Overseas Representattion, Diplomatic, Consular and other Foreign and Commonwealth Services." The cash limit for class II vote 1 will be reduced from £373,968,000 to £372,768,000.
The cash limit for class II vote 4, the British Council, will be increased by £2,000,000 from £44,021,000 to £46,021,000 to compensate for the effect in 1984–85 of increases in overseas inflation and adverse exchange rate movements and an increase in rent on its Spring gardens premises in 1984–85. The increase will be charged to the reserve and will not therefore add to the planning total of public expenditure.
The increases are subject to paliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimates.