§ Mr. William Powellasked the Secretary of State for Transport what changes he proposes to the cash limits on his Votes.
§ Mr. MooreAs foreshadowed in my statement on 9 March, at column 22, on the Zeebrugge ferry disaster, the Government have made a £1,000,000 (£1 million) contribution to the disaster fund, met by a repayable advance from the Contingencies Fund.
The contribution will add £1,000,000 to Government expenditure, but as savings have occurred in Class VIII, Vote 2, the public expenditure planning total will not itself be affected. The cash limit for Class VIII, Vote 2, in 1986–87 is being reduced from £181,371,000 to £180,371,000.
Parliament will be asked to vote a summer Supplementary Estimate to repay the advance to the Contingencies Fund in 1987–88. As an internal Government financial transfer, this will not affect the planning total of public expenditure in 1987–88. It will, however, be necessary to increase the cash limit for Class VIII, Vote 2, in that year from £190,446,000 to £191,446,000.