§ Mr. ArbuthnotTo ask the Secretary of State for Health whether any changes will be made to the cash limits and running cost limits for his Department in 1991–92.
§ Mr. WaldegraveSubject to parliamentary approval of the necessary supplementary estimates, the following changes will be made:
The cash limit for class XIII, vote 1 (hospital, community health, family health services (part) and related services, England) will be increased by £162,196,000 from £16,247,836,000 to £16,410,032,000. This increase allows for an additional £157,719,000 to help provide, from 1 April 1991, for the pay awards recommended in the 1991 reports of the review bodies for nursing staff, midwives, health visitors and professions allied to medicine, and on doctors' and dentists' remuneration, as announced by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 31 January 1991 and for a transfer of £4,758,000 from class XI, votes 2 (Department of Education and Science, higher and further education) and 3 (Department of Education and Science, student awards, loans and compensation payments) in respect of public sector higher education. These increases are partially offset by transfers of £ 191,000 to class XVI, vote 8 (hospital and community health services, family practitioner services (part) and other health services, Wales) in respect of occupational therapy training and £90,000 to class XIII, vote 3 (see below) in respect of a child health care initiative.
The cash limit for class XIII, vote 3 (Department of Health, administration, miscellaneous health services and personal social services, England) will be increased by £43,118,000 from £683,351,000 to £726,469,000. The increase provides for £1,281,000 to meet, from 1 April 1991, the review body recommendations mentioned above; for £42,000,000 for grants to haemophiliacs infected with HIV; for a net transfer of £847,000 from class XIV, vote 4 (Department of Social Security, administration and miscellaneous services) following a reapportionment of costs between the two Departments; for transfers of £90,000 from class XIII, vote 1 (see above) in respect of a child health care initiative and £14,000 from class IV, vote 2 (Department of Trade and Industry, support for industry, international trade, statutory and regulatory work, consumer protection and administration) in respect of research undertaken by the laboratory of the Government chemist and the national physical laboratory. The increases are partially offset by a transfer of £1,114,000 to class XI, vote 2 (Department of Education and Science, higher and further education) in respect of social work training. The Department's running cost limit is decreased by £733,000 from £253,625,000 to £252,892,000.
The increases have been charged to the reserve and therefore do not add to the planned total of public expenditure.