§ Mrs. Ann WintertonTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether there have been any changes in the cash limits or running costs of his Department in 1988–89.
§ Mr. ScottSubject to parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimate, the cash limit for class XV, vote 6, (housing benefit administration) will be increased by £4 million from £127.635 million to £131.635 million. The revision takes account of local authorities' additional administrative costs due to the raising of the capital limit for entitlement to housing benefit from £6,000 to £8,000 (£2 million) and their preparation costs for taking on boarders (£1 million) and for implementing new rent officer procedures (£1 million). The increase will be charged to the reserve and will not therefore add to the planned total of public expenditure.
Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimate, the cash limit for class XV, vote 7, (administration and miscellaneous services) will be 459W increased by £7.395 million from £1,453.404 million to £1,460.799 million. The revision takes account of the additional administrative costs associated with the unit introduced to make transitional payments to certain housing benefit claimants, namely £11.965 million, the salary of an additional Minister (£35,000) and the cost of paying youth training scheme trainees (£183,000). These additional requirements are partially offset by an increase in receipts of £4.788 million to the vote. The balance of the increase will be charged to the reserve and will therefore not add to the planned total of public expenditure. As a 460W result the running costs limit of the Departments of Social Security and of Health is increased by £6.609 million from £1,778.580 million to £1,785.189 million.