Mr. Andy StewartTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether any changes are proposed in the cash limits for the intervention board executive agency.
§ Mr. GummerYes. Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary supplementary estimate, the cash limit for class III, vote 2 (administration) will be increased by £5,009,000 from £37,508,000 to £42,517,000. Within this limit running costs including VAT recovery will be increased by £1,257,000 from £22,091,000 to £23,348,000; capital will be increased by £586,000 of which £304,000 is in respect of end-of-year flexibility as announced by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on 25 July 1990,Official Report, columns 235–38; agency services will be increased by £3,286,000, and appropriation-in-aid, excluding VAT recovery on running costs, will be increased by £120,000. These increases in administration costs reflect the substantial growth in CAP market support activity, primarily in respect of beef intervention, the initial costs of relocating part of the agency to Newcastle, and take up of the capital end-year flexibility entitlement.
£ thousand Class and vote Current cash limit Changes end year flexibility (a) Capital running costs Other Revised cash limit VII, 1 1,808,062 — — -9,200 (b) 1,798,862 2 253,236 2,000 524 3,933 (c) 259,693 4 132,909 2,000 659 228 (d) 135,796 5 267,518 — — l (e) 267,519 (a) Take-up of entitlements announced by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on 25 July 1990, Official Report, columns. 235–40.
(b) Decreases of £7,000,000 in respect of a transfer to the Department of the Environment non voted cash limit DOE/UA for costs incurred by the Black Country development corporation in acquiring land for the black country spine road and £2,200,000 transferred to class VII vote 2 for transport safety campaigns.
(c) Increases of £853,000 to repay accrued interest on compensation awarded to the United Kingdom in respect of the Amoco Cadiz oil pollution incident; and of £750,000 to meet the cost of dealing with the Rosebay oil pollution incident in May 1990. The Rosebay costs are expected to be recoverable in due course. There is also £358,000 transferred from the Department of the Environment (class VIII vote 8) in respect of certain running costs.
(d) An increase of £228,000 transferred from class VII vote 2 to cover certain staff-related costs transferred from my Department to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency.
(e) Token. Provision has been made to enable certain payments in respect of transport facilities grants to be made direct to the private sector.
The running costs limit of the Department of Transport has been increased by £1,515,000 from £320,901,000 to £322,416,000.
The increase is within the forecast outturn for the planning total included in the Chancellor's autumn statement today.