§ Mr. Gwilym JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he proposes to make any changes to the cash limits for his Department in the current year.
§ Mr. David HuntYes. Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimates, the cash limit for class XVI, vote 4 will be increased by £5,159,000 from £151,408,000 to £156,567,000; the cash limit for class XVI, vote 5 will be reduced by £6,590,000 from £399,875,000 to £393,285,000; the cash limit for class XVI, vote 8 will be increased by £12,783,000 from £1,130,677,000 to £1,143,460,000; the cash limit for class XVI, vote 10 will be increased by £10,521,000 from £1,764,799,000 to £1,775,320,000. In addition, the cash limit for WO/UA will be increased by £8,061,000 from £74,091,000 to £82,152,000 and the cash limit for WO/LACAP will be reduced by £4,879,000 from £379,541,000 to £374,662,000.
The increase in vote 4 is in respect of the Welsh share of the increased provision for measures to help unemployed people, announced by the Secretary of State for Employment on 19 June 1991. The Welsh share is mainly for employment training and the new employment action programme.
148WThe reduction to vote 5 allows for the transfer to class XVI, vote 10 of payments to the Valuation Office Agency for rating list work (£5,158,000). There are also further reductions of (i) £735,000 in the provision for rating list work and (ii) £697,000 in respect of the running costs of the valuation and community charge tribunal offices (including associated receipts) which are being accommodated from offsetting savings within vote 10.
The additional resources for vote 8 are for (i) the increase in VAT announced on 19 March 1991 (£7,500,000), (ii) full take-up of end year flexibility entitlement for capital carryover as announced by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on 17 July 1991 (cols. 186 to 190) (£5,086,000) and (iii) the transfer from class XIII, vote 1 (Department of Health) of the Incentive Bonus Scheme Policy Group (£197,000).
The increase to vote 10 takes account of (i) the transfer of provision for rating services from class XVI, vote 5 (£5,158,000) and (ii) additional provision for payments to the Valuation Office Agency in respect of council tax banding work (£5,363,000).
The increase to the urban aid capital cash limit (WO/UA) takes account of (i) the take-up of end year flexibility entitlement on capital expenditure (£3,182,000) as announced by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on 17 July 1991 at columns 186 to 190 and (ii) the transfer of provision for the rural initiative from WO/LACAP (£4,879,000).
The reduction in the local authority capital cash limit (WO/LACAP) relates to the transfer of provision to WO/UA in respect of the rural initiative.
The net increase represented by these changes is within the forecast outturn for the planning total included in the Chancellor's autumn statement today.