Mr. Andy StewartTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether it is intended to change the cash limit on any departmental vote for which he has responsibility.
§ Mr. CurryYes. Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary supplementary estimate, the cash limit for class III, vote 4 (other agricultural and food services and support for the fishing industry) will be increased by £2,411,000 from £154,960,000 to £157,371,000 to make provision for payments to the British Society for Horticultural Research. The increase will be fully offset by a corresponding reduction to the cash limit for class III, vote 5 from £287,507,000 to £285,096,000 and will not therefore add to the planned total of public expenditure. The Department's running costs limit will be decreased by £795,000 from £292,837,000 to £292,042,000.
As I announced to the House on 17 October 1989 at column 97, the British Society for Horticultural Research will carry out commissioned research and development on behalf of the Ministry. This work will be funded from class III, vote 4. The reduction in expenditure for class III, vote 5 reflects the savings accruing from the consequential reduction of in-house research and development, and increased receipts for this vote cover the attachment of Ministry staff and facilities to the BSHR.