§ Mr. RaffanTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he proposes to make any changes to the cash limits for class XVII, votes 5 and 8, for 1988–89.
§ Mr. Peter WalkerYes. Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimates, the cash limit for Class XVII, Vote 5 will be increased by £1,294,000 from £223,490,000 to £224,784,000 and the cash limit for Class XVII, Vote 8 will be increased by £33,366,000 from £743,259,000 to £776,625,000.
The whole increase for Class XVII, Vote 8, together with £634,000 of the increase for Class XVII, Vote 5, follows the decision to implement the recommendations of the review bodies in respect of doctors, dentists, nurses, midwives and professions allied to medicine as announced by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 21 April 1988. Those increases will be charged to the reserve and do not, therefore, add to the public expenditure planning total.
A further increase of £600,000 is required for Class XVII, Vote 5 to augment the provision for the development and implementation of the education national curriculum in Wales. Provision for this service formed part of the last public expenditure survey and does not, therefore, constitute either an increase in the planning total or a claim on the reserve.
The remaining increase of £60,000 for Class XVII, Vote 5 is required to meet preliminary costs of the privatisation of the Welsh Water Authority. A corresponding reduction of £60,000 is being made to the cash limit for Class X, Vote 9 (Sale of shares in the water services public limited companies, etc.).