HC Deb 02 February 1988 vol 126 c542W
Sir Antony Buck

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he proposes to make any changes to the Foreign and Commonwealth cash limits for 1987–88.

Mr. Eggar

Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimate, the cash limit for class II, vote 4 (British Council), will be increased by £1,066,000 from £55,658,000 to £56,724,000 to take account of unavoidable increased costs overseas. The increase will be charged to the Reserve.

The cash limit for class II, vote 1 (Overseas Representation), will be decreased by £5 million from £427,247,000 to £422,247,000 due to reductions in assumed costs overseas. This will include a reduction in the running costs limit of £1,500,000 from £396,783,000 to £395,283,000. The cash limit for class II, vote 3 (BBC: External Broadcasting and Monitoring), will be reduced by £4,347,000 from £116,500,000 to £112,153,000 to take account of the over-issue of the grant-in-aid in the previous financial year.