HC Deb 04 June 1991 vol 192 cc170-1W
Mr. Gerald Bowden

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he proposes to make any changes to the cash limit on the Property Services Agency services vote in 1991–92.

Mr. Yeo

Subject to approval of the necessary revised estimate, the cash limit for class VIII vote 13 will be reduced by £470,000 from £91,416,000 to £90,946,000. The reduction is due to the transfer of £500,000 to Property Holdings (in respect of the transfer of the PSA security group function) offset by an inward transfer of £30,000 from the Department of Trade and Industry following the extension of charging for seedcorn research.

This vote also covers the residual costs of the Crown Suppliers, following the closure on 31 March of the Crown Suppliers trading fund. Pending parliamentary approval of the estimates, urgent expenditure estimated at £5,000,000 will be met by a repayable advance from the contingencies fund.

Mr. Gerald Bowden

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he has any changes to announce to his Department's running cost limits for 1991–92.

Mr. Yeo

Yes, subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary summer supplementary estimate, the running cost limit for Property Holdings will be increased by £7,058,000 from £49,973,000 to £57,031,000. The increase reflects the transfer of responsibility to Property Holdings of the special services group from class VIII vote 13 and the interdepartmental despatch service from the Crown Suppliers.

Sir Timothy Raison

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he has any changes to announce to his Department's cash limits and running costs limits for 1991–92.

Mr. Heseltine

Yes. Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary revised and supplementary estimates, the following changes will be made:

  1. (i) the cash limit for class VIII, vote 2 (miscellaneous housing administration and grants) will be reduced by £25,588,000 from £221,495,000 to £195,907,000. This mainly reflects a decision to transfer £25,500,000 of capital resources for projects for the single homeless to the DOE Housing Corporation (DOE/HC) non-voted cash limit. These transferred resources will continue to be available to provide for the single homeless. The remainder of the cash limit reduction is to the provision for grants to the priority estates project;
  2. (ii) the DOE/HC non-voted cash limit will be increased by £25,500,000 from £1,495,425,000 to £1,520,925,000. This results from the transfer of resources for capital projects to help the single homeless from the cash limited vote class VIII, vote 2 to DOE/HC as described above;
  3. (iii) the cash limit on class VIII, vote 5 (central environmental services, etc.) will be increased by £665,000 from £326,625,000 to £327,290,000. The increase is required mainly to cover higher charges for environmental research, arising from the introduction of full cost recovery by the Department of Trade and Industry (the offsetting increased receipts appear on class IV, vote 2). The increase also provides for an enhanced better environment 171 awards for industry scheme and for the costs of transporting oil recovery equipment to Bahrain, following the major oil spills during the Gulf conflict;
  4. (iv) the cash limit for class VIII, vote 6 (royal palaces, royal parks, historic buildings, etc.) will be reduced by £1,110,000 from £174,144,000 to £173,034,000. There will be a reduction in provision for the Royal Commission on historical monuments of England of £2,771,000 due to its relocation plans being rephased offset by minor increases in provision throughout the vote;
  5. (v) the cash limit for class VIII, vote 8 (Department of the Environment: Administration) will be increased by £466,000 from £187,951,000 to £188,417,000. There are various transfers which include a transfer of £675,000 from class VIII, vote 7 (Department of the Environment: Property Holdings) in respect of financial and administrative services to be provided for Property Holdings and a transfer of £200,000 to the Department of Education and Science for sport and recreation work;
  6. (vi) the running costs limit for the Department will be increased by £531,000 from £189,530,000 to £190,061,000.

On behalf of the Director General of the Office of Water Services, I have to announce a cash limit reduction on class VIII, vote 11 (Office of Water Services) of £ 15,000 from £6,300,000 to £6,285,000. The Department's running cost limit will be reduced by £269,000 from £5,713,000 to £5,444,000. The reduction in running costs will offset increases in capital expenditure on accommodation and information technology. There are also some other minor changes on the vote.

These increases will be charged to the Reserve and not therefore add to the planned total of public expenditure.