§ Mr. HindTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether it is intended to change the cash and running cost limits on any departmental Vote for which he has responsibility.
§ Mr. GummerYes. Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimate, the cash limit for class IV vote 2 (Intervention Board for Agricultural Produce: administration) will be increased by a token £1,000 from £38,225,000 to £38,226,000. The running costs limit for the board will be increased by £540,000 from £19,881,000 to £20,421,000 which includes £89,000 in respect of take-up of the full end-year flexibility entitlement as announced by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on 20 July 1989(Official Report, columns 258-62). Provision for payments for agency services will be decreased by £523,000 and recovery of value-added tax in respect of capital items will be increased by £16,000. These changes reflect an increase in running costs to remove the backlog of external trade claims and a reduction in appropriations-in-aid, offset by reduced expenditure by the board's agents, principally as a result of the changes to the Community support arrangements for beef.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food cash limit for class IV, vote 4 (other agricultural and food services and support for the fishing industry) will be reduced by £2,500,000 from £148,931,000 to £146,431,000 and that for class IV, vote 5 (departmental research, advisory services and administration) will be reduced by £2,000,000 from £256,942,000 to £254,942,000, with a consequential reduction in the running cost limit for MAFF of £2,000,000 from £262,386,000 to £260,386,000. These reductions mainly reflect the tightening of the eligibility criteria for grant on fishing vessels and difficulties in the recruitment and retention of staff.