§ Mr. Simon CoombsTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what changes she proposes to the cash limits and running cost limits of her Department in 1993–94.
§ Mrs. Virginia BottomleyThe cash limit for class XII, vote 1 (Hospital, community health, family health services (part) and related services, England) will be decreased by £58,031,000, from £19,938,202,000 to £19,880,171,000. This decrease covers transfer of £104,688,000 to class XII, vote 4 (Family health services (part) and NHS trusts external financing etc., England) for an increase in the NHS trusts' aggregate external financing limit (£88,416,000) and for general practice fund holder drug costs (£16,272,000). The total decrease has been partly offset by the addition of £44,957,000 for take up of entitlement to carry over underspends under the end-year flexibility arrangements as announced by my right hon. Friend the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on 14 July 1993 at columns512–17 and also covers a transfer of £1,700,000 from class XII, vote 3 (Department of Health, administration, miscellaneous health services and personal social services, England) for day and domiciliary care.
Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary supplementary estimate the cash limit for class XII, vote 3 (Department of Health, administration, miscellaneous health services and personal social services, England) will be reduced by £3,978,000 (from £1,441,225,000 to £1,437,247,000). This reduction allows for a transfer of £1,700,000 to class XII, vote 1 mentioned above; £2,460,000 to class X, vote 2 (Department for Education higher and further education) for the conversion of social work training courses; £200,000 to class XI, vote 3 (Department of National Heritage: Libraries) for a grant to the Royal National Institute for the Blind and £840,000 to class XIV, vote 13 (Family health services (part) and NHS trusts external financing etc, Scotland) in respect of increased receipts by the health benefit unit. The overall reduction is partly offset by £1,161,000 from class XIII, vote 4 (Department of Social Security, administration and miscellaneous services) (Departmental running costs of £642,000) in respect of departmental administration, accommodation, printing and stationery for the health 63W benefit unit and a contribution towards the Keep Warm Keep Well Campaign. There is an additional increase of £61,000 on running costs reflecting a new repayment service with the Department of Social Security. The increase is fully offset by increased receipts on Department of Social Security class XIII, vote 4.
The Department's gross running cost limit will be increased by £228,000 from £252,856,000 to £253,084,000. This reflects a reallocation out of running costs of £475,000 to the health benefit unit offset by the effect of transfers from the Department of Social Security mentioned above.
All increases will either be offset by savings or charged to the Reserve and will not therefore add to the planned total of public expenditure.