HC Deb 16 December 1994 vol 251 cc853-4W
Mr. Harry Greenway

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what proposals he has to change his Department's cash limits and external financing limits for 1994–95.

Mr. Gummer

The DOE/HC, Housing Corporation, non-voted cash limit, covering grants and capital expenditure financed by the Housing Corporation in England, will be increased by £3,416,000 to £1,478,708,000. The increase is to fund an additional £3 million in respect of city challenge expenditure and for the take-up of end year flexibility entitlement of £416,000 as announced by the Chief Secretary on 14 July, Official Report, columns 729–34, for expenditure under the corporation's approved development programme, including city challenge schemes.

The DOE/LACAP, local authority capital, non-voted cash limit will be increased by £836,000 to £2,221,200,000. The increase is for the take-up of end year flexibility entitlement for supplementary credit approvals to local authorities to enable funding of projects within the housing partnership fund. The entitlement has been recalculated on outturn figures and revised from £530,000, announced by the Chief Secretary on 14 July, Official Report, columns 729–34, and based on forecast outturn data.

The external financing limit for the British Waterways Board will be increased by £500,000 to £48,866,000. This will help the board to cover the costs of canal repairs following a breach of the Leeds and Liverpool canal at Maghull and to bring forward essential maintenance work.

The increases will be offset by savings elsewhere or charged to the reserve and will not therefore add to the planned total of public expenditure.

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