§ Mr. Andrew MacKayasked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will give details of changes to his Department's cash limits.
§ Mr. Buchanan-SmithThe cash limit for class IV, vote 5 will be reduced by £700,000 from £289,674,000 to £288,974,000 to offset an increase on the non-cash limited class IV, vote 19, where additional provision is to be 13W taken, subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimate, to cover an increase in the fee payable to the British National Oil Corporation and its successor, the Oil and Pipelines Agency, for acting as the Government's agents in the disposal of petroleum taken as royalty in kind. There is therefore no net change in public expenditure arising from that increase.
Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimate, the cash limit for class IV, vote 25 (sale of shares in the British Gas Corporation) will be increased by £850,000 from £650,000 to £1,500,000 because of increased preliminary work in connection with the sale. The increase will be charged to the reserve, and so will not increase public expenditure.