§ Mr. BaldryTo ask the Minister for the Civil Service if there are any proposals to change the 1987–88 cash limit for the office of the Minister for the Civil Service.
§ Mr. LuceSubject to parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimate, the cash limit for the Office of the Minister for the Civil Service (class XX, vote 1) will be increased by £1,060,000 from £33,603,000 to £34,663,000. The increase is required to disburse to Civil Service welfare organisations some of the savings to the Exchequer arising from the underpayment of public service pensions as a result of the miscalculation of retail prices index increases; and to clear outstanding debit balances in respect of advance payments made to the Property Services Agency (PSA) since 1983–84. The decision to make additional payments to suitable charities was announced to the House of Commons by my right hon. Friend the Paymaster General on 18 December 1987. Since the payments will be funded from the Reserve, they will not increase the planned total of public expenditure. The PSA payments were made in previous years and there is no call on the Reserve.