HC Deb 12 November 1992 vol 213 cc891-2W
Mr. Pawsey

To ask the Secretary of State for Education what proposals there are for changes to the cash limits on votes within his responsibility for 1992–93.

Mr. Patten

Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary supplementary estimates, the cash limits for class XI, vote 1, schools, research and miscellaneous services, vote 2, higher and further education and vote 4, administration, will be increased. The cash limit changes are as follows:

Class and vote Current cash limit £ Change £ Revised cash limit £
XI.1 766,535,000 +1,831,000 768,366,000
XI.2 3,034,485,000 +2,505,000 3,036,990,000
XI.4 108,427,000 +1,566,000 109,993,000

The increase on class XI, vote 1 includes the take-up of £1,977,000 capital end-year flexibility entitlement announced by my right hon. Friend the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on 15 July 1992 at columns 698–702. It also takes account of a reduction of £ 146,000 to offset in full an increase to the cash limit on the higher and further education vote, class XI, vote 2.

The increase on class XI, vote 2 includes the take up of £839,000 capital end-year flexibility entitlement. It also takes account of an increase of £1,392,000 in provision for the costs of extended and upgraded courses in social work, offset in full by transfers of funding from the Home Office, the Department of Health and the Welsh Office; an increase of £146,000 to the Polytechnics and Colleges Funding Council following the transfer of responsibility for the funding of the YMCA National College, offset in full by a reduction to provision for youth services on Class XI, Vote 1; and an increase of £128,000 in provision for grant-in-aid for the running costs of the Further Education Funding Council, offset in full by a reduction on the administration vote, class XI, vote 4.

The increase on class XI, vote 4 includes the take-up of £1,543,000 capital and running costs end year flexibility entitlement and a transfer of £151,000 from Property Holdings. It is net of the transfer of £128,000 to class XI, vote 2. The Department's running costs limit has been reduced by £7,933,000 to £95,597,000 principally as a result of transfers to the new vote for the Office of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector (class XI, vote 7) and to the Office of Public Services and Science (class XIX, vote 4).

All the increases are within the forecast outturn for the planning total included in the Chancellor of the Exchequer's autumn statement today.