Cash Limits (Hansard, 4 February 1994)

§ Mr. Burns
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what changes are proposed to the cash and running costs limits for 1993–94 in respect of the Office of HM Paymaster General.

§ Sir John Cope
Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary supplementary estimate, the cash limit for class XVII, vote 13, the Office of HM Paymaster General, will be increased by £36,000 to £4,436,000 and the running costs limit will be increased by £1,533,000 from £25,291,000 to £26,824,000. The changes reflect a transfer of £36,000 from Property Holdings—class VII, vote 6— for building maintenance costs; additional work being carried out at the request of the Office of HM Paymaster General's customers; and early retirement costs forming part of efficiency measures currently being undertaken. The cash limit increase will be financed by a transfer from Property Holdings, and the running costs increase by additional income. These increases will not, therefore, add to the planned total of public expenditure.

§ Mr. Burns
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what changes are proposed to the Treasury's cash and running costs limits in 1993–94.

§ Mr. Nelson
Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary supplementary estimate on class XVII, vote 3, two changes are proposed(a) the cash limit for class XVII, vote 1—Her Majesty's Treasury —will be reduced by £116,000 from £76,468,000 to £76,352,000, 990W and the running costs limit will be reduced by £116,000 from £79,621,000 to £79,505,000. The reduction reflects a transfer of central services to the Cabinet Office, class XIX, vote 1 which will be showing a corresponding increase. (b) the cash limit for class XVII, vote 3—Forward: Civil Service Catering—will be increased by £950,000. The net running costs limit for Forward will also be increased by £950,000 and there will be an increase in appropriations in aid of £968,000. These changes are a result of increased trading activity and the impact of the sale of Forward. The cash limit increase of £950,000 is expected to be offset by receipts from the sale and will not therefore add to the planned total of public expenditure.

§ Mr. Burns
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what changes are proposed to the Central Statistical Office's cash and running costs limits for 1993–94.

§ Mr. Nelson
The cash limit for class XVII, vote 14 will be reduced by £309,000 from £43,551,000 to £43,242,000 and the running costs limit by £258,000 from £42,211,000 to £41,953,000. These reductions reflect the following: the surrender of £326,000 in running costs provision in respect of VAT receipts for payments to the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys, which are now VAT exempted; a transfer from Property Holdings—£68,000—class VII, vote 6; and extra receipts from the Department of the Environment—£51,000—class VII, vote 7. The changes will not add to the planned total of public expenditure.

§ Mr. Burns
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what changes are proposed to the Department for National Savings' cash limits and running costs limits for 1993–94.

§ Mr. Nelson
Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary supplementary estimate, the cash limit on class XVII, vote 10—expenditure of the Department for National Savings on administration, publicity costs and certain other expenses—will be increased by £734,000 from £199,300,000 to £200,034,000. The increase comprises of £579,000 take-up under the end-year flexibility arrangements for running costs—as announced by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on 14 July 1993,Official Report, columns 512–18—and a transfer of £155,000 from the Department of the Environment—Property Holdings—class VII, vote 6, in respect of buildings maintenance.
As a result of these changes, the running costs limit for the Department for National Savings will be increased by £734,000 from £195,142,000 to £195,876,000. The increase will be offset by a transfer and a change to the reserve and will not therefore add to the planned total of public expenditure.