HC Deb 22 May 1984 vol 60 cc386-9W
Mr. William Powell

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give the revised cash limits for 1984–85 which take account of the abolition of national insurance surcharge announced in the Budget.

Mr. Peter Rees

A list of revised cash limits is shown in the following table. Subject to Parliamentary approval, the changes will be taken into account in revised Estimates, or offset against increases proposed in supplementary Estimates.

The total reduction in cash limits in respect of the abolition of National Insurane surcharge is £69 million. In addition there are savings in votes not subject to cash limits (aside from components of nationalised industries external financing limits) totalling about £2 million. On de minimis grounds, cash limits are not generally being reduced where the effect of the national insurance surcharge abolition is less than £75,000, unless changes to votes are being made for other reasons.

Other cash limit changes included in the table are:

  1. (i) a transfer of £3,347,000 from the cash limit on Class IX, Vote 7 to that on class II, Vote 1, following the transfer of responsibility for the Passport Office from the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs to the Secretary of State for the Home Department, as announced by the Prime Minister on 21 March 1984.
  2. (ii) an increase in the cash limit on Class VIII, Vote 5 of £275,000 to cover the costs of the London and Metropolitan Government Staff Commission which is being established to advise on the measures necessary to safeguard the interests of staff affected by the proposed transfer of functions of the Greater London council and Metropolitan County councils. This increase is being met from within the Department of Environment's exising public expenditure provision.
  3. (iii) a transfer of £432,000 from the cash limit on Class III, Vote 5 to that on Class III, Vote 2 arising from the transfer between the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the Intervention Board of Agricultural Produce of certain staff concerned with audit and verification and with the payment of the beef and sheep variable premium.
  4. (iv) a transfer of £23,000 from the cash limit on Class IV, Vote 4 to that on Class XIV, Vote 6, reflecting the transfer between the Department of Trade and Industry and the Government Actuary's Department, of certain work on the supervision of insurance.
  5. (v) a transfer of £15,000 from the cash limit on Class IX, Vote 7 to that on class VI, Vote 2 reflecting the transfer between the Home Office and the Department of Transport of responsibility for taxis.
    6. 387
  6. (vi) an increase of £748,000 on the cash limit on Class XIII, Vote 5, Customs and Excise, for administration of tax changes announced in the Budget. This increase will be met from the Reserve.

These changes will not add to the public expenditure planning total.

(viii) reductions on the following cash limits reflecting reduced requirements:

Revisions to 1984–85 cash limits resulting from the abolition of national insurance surcharge and some other changes
A. Voted expenditure
£ thousand
Class Vote Accounting Department Description of expenditure Current cash limit Reduction Revised cash limit
I 1 Ministry of Defence* Pay, etc. of the armed forces and civilians, stores, supplies and miscellaneous services 6,385,230 17,745 6,367,485
I 2 Ministry of Defence* Procurement 8,080,794 1,887 8,078,907
I 4 Property Services Agency* Defence accommodation services 1,059,040 274 1,058,766
I 5 Ministry of Defence* Dockyard services 461,526 1,154 460,372
II 1 Foreign and Commonwealth Office Overseas representation: diplomatic, consular and other foreign and commonwealth services 371,092 †2,876 373,968
II 3 Foreign and Commonwealth Office British Broadcasting Corporation: external services 78,697 153 78,544
II 8 Foreign and Commonwealth Office Overseas Aid 1,061,589 28 1,061,561
III 2 Intervention Board for Agricultural Produce Central Administration 19,101 ‡380 19,481
III 5 Ministry of Agricultural, Fisheries and Food Departmental research, advisory services and administration 200,472 950 199,522
III 6 Forestry Commission Forestry 55,433 239 55,194
IV 4 Department of Trade and Industry Export promotion, trade co-operation, corporate and consumer affairs 50,784 234 50,550
IV 6 Department of Trade and Industry Scientific and technological assistance 378,285 107 378,178
IV 7 Department of Energy Scientific and technological assistance: nuclear energy 200,395 441 199,954
IV 13 Department of Employment Labour market services 693,522 900 692,622
IV 16 Department of Employment Manpower Services Commission 1,213,666 787 1,212,879
IV 17 Department of Employment Administration 232,921 623 232,298
IV 18 Department of Trade and Industry Central and miscellaneous services 140,856 311 140,545
IV 22 Department of Employment Health and Safety Commission 90,468 170 90,298
VI 2 Department of Transport Transport services and central administration 145,994 366 145,628
VI 4 Department of Transport Driver and vehicle licensing 102,305 1,843 100,462
VIII 2 Department of the Environment Central environmental services, etc. 127,042 155 126,887
VIII 4 Department of the Environment Royal palaces, royal parks, historic buildings, ancient monuments and the national heritage 92,932 291 92,641
VIII 5 Department of the Environment Central administration and environment research 172,062 67 171,995
IX 1 Lord Chancellor's Department Administration of justice, England and Wales 85,811 171 85,640
IX 7 Home Office Central, administrative, miscellaneous and community services and civil defence, England and Wales 308,254 3,802 304,452
IX 8 Home Office Prisons, England and Wales 586,431 1,491 584,940
IX 9 Treasury Solicitor's Department Law charges, England and Wales (Treasury Solicitor's Department) 12,197 135 12,062
X 4 Department of Education and Science Central Administration 50,096 105 49,991
XI 1 Department of Health and Social Security Health and personal social services, England 8,861,485 21,848 8,839,637
XII 5 Department of Health and Social Security Administration and miscellaneous services 721,853 1,746 720,107
XIII 4 Treasury Economic and financial administration 43,465 95 43,370
XIII 5 Customs and Excise Department Economic and financial administration 342,542 340 342,202
XIII 6 Inland Revenue Economic and financial administration 795,968 2,439 793,529
XIII 10 Department for National Savings Economic and financial administration 149,207 235 148,972
XIII 17 Land Registry Records, registrations and surveys 79,534 242 79,292
XIII 23 Ordnance Survey Records, registrations and surveys 16,622 103 16,519
XIV 1 Property Services Agency Civil accommodation repayment services 532,069 88 531,981
XIV 2 Property Services Agency Administration and miscellaneous services 352,339 709 351,630
XIV 6 Department of the Government Actuary Other Common Services (Government Actuary) 1,125 ║20 1,145
XV 4 Industry Department for Scotland Manpower Services Commission, Scotland 138,214 80 138,134
XV 14 Scottish Home and Health Department Prisons, hospitals and community health services, etc., Scotland 1,428,815 4,158 1,424,657
XV 24 Scottish Office Scottish Office administration 97,745 473 97,272

Class Vote Reduced Requirement

£000
II 1 136
III 2 2
VI 4 1,674
VIII 4 157
IX 9 100
XV 24 145
XVI 7 84

Class Vote Accounting Department Description of expenditure Current cash limit Reduction Revised cash limit
XVI 1 Welsh Office Civil defence, tourism, roads and transport, housing, other environmental services, education and science, arts and libraries, health and personal social services, Wales 745,911 1,933 743,978
XVI 4 Welsh Office Manpower Services Commission, Wales 81,419 41 81,378
XVI 7 Welsh Office Other services: Welsh Office 31,895 172 31,723
XVII 1 Northern Ireland Office Law, order, protective and miscellaneous services 404,051 1,000 403,051

B. Other central government expenditure
£ million
Cash block Department Description of expenditure Current cash limit Reduction Revised cash limit
BOE1 Bank of England Bank of England administration costs in respect of note issue, exchange equalisation account and debt management 81.0 0.1 80.9
NID1 Northern Ireland Departments Services analogous to Great Britain services covered by cash limits 2,051.4 3.5 2,047.9
* The four cash-limited defence votes are each separate cash limits, but by agreement with the Treasury, they are managed as a global cash limit.
† There is a net increase to the cash limit on Class II vote 1. The increase of £3,347,000 following the transfer of responsibility for the Passport Office is partly offset by reductions of £335,000 due to NIS and £136,000 due to reduced requirements.
‡ There is a net increase on the cash limit for Class III vote 2. An increase of £432,000 which is a transfer from Class in vote 5 is partly offset by reductions of £50,000 due to NIS and £2,000 due to PRS.
║ There is a net increase on the cash limit for Class XIV vote 6. An increase of £23,000 which is a transfer from Class IV vote 4 is partly offset by a reduction of £3,000 due to NIS.