§ Mr. ButlerTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what changes are proposed in his Department's cash limits for 1994–95
§ Mr. WaldegraveThe Intervention Board executive agency is eligible for an increase of £1,012,000 in respect of the end year flexibility arrangements for running costs expenditure, as announced by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on 14 July 1994,Official Report, columns 729£34. At this stage, it is proposed to take up £600,000 of this entitlement to increase the agency's running costs cash limit for class III vote 2 from £32,852,000 to £33,452,000. The increase will be wholly offset by a £600,000 reduction in payments for agents' services, subhead A3, to £16,848,000 and the increase will not therefore result in a change in the cash limit for the vote.
Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary supplementary estimate, the cash limit for class III, vote 5—Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food: Departmental Research, Advisory Services and Administration—will be increased by £6,392,000 from £311,890,000 to £318,282,000 and the cash limit for class III, vote 4—Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food: agricultural, food and fishing services—will be increased by £1,212,000 from £371,418,000 to £372,630,000. The vote 5 supplementary estimate will give effect to the £7,329,000 running costs and £358,000 capital end year entitlement announced by the Chief Secretary to the 1043W Treasury on 14 July 1994, Official Report, columns 729–34.
The gross running costs limit of the Department will be increased by £6,305,000 from £238,060,000 to £289,365,000. The £7,329,000 end year flexibility take-up has been offset by running costs reductions of £1,024,000. Those reductions comprise transfers of £842,000 vote 4 and £25,000 to the Welsh Office for commissioning work with the Central Science Laboratory on the bee health programme; a £36,000 transfer to the Central Statistical Office conferring responsibility for the compilation of the food and feed component of the producer price index; a £44,000 transfer to the Welsh Office to meet redundancy costs of agricultural advisory staff at the Welsh Office and a £77,000 transfer to vote 4 for commissioning work with the Veterinary Medicines Directorate in respect of food science.
The cost of the increase on vote 4 is fully matched by receipts in class III, vote 5 and a transfer from class XII, Vote 3. Within the revised limit, expenditure on support for the fishing industry will be increased by £1,500,000, grants for alternative land uses will be increased by £30,000 and expenditure on agricultural and food services will be increased by £1,212,000. The overall increase will be offset by additional receipts from sales of stocks of £1,530,000.
All increases will be offset by increased receipts, transfers or charged to the reserve and will not therefore add to the planned total of public expenditure.