HC Deb 02 February 1995 vol 253 cc783-4W
Mrs. Angela Knight

To ask the Secretary of State for Education what changes she has to announce to cash limits and running costs on votes within her responsibility for 1994–95.

Mrs. Gillian Shephard

Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary supplementary estimates, the cash limits for class X, vote 1—schools, research and miscellaneous services—vote 2—higher and further education—and vote 6—Office of Her Majesty's chief inspector of schools in England—will be amended. The changes are as set out:

Class and vote Current cash limit £ Change £ Revised cash limit £
X.1 800,296,000 -12,500.000 787,796,000
X.2 5,672,793,000 +3,415,000 5,676,208,000
X.6 76,901,000 -12,500,000 64,401,000

The reduction in cash limits on class X, vote 1 and vote 6 are made as a contribution towards offsetting the increase of £117.5 million sought via a supplementary estimate for class X, vote 3—student awards, loans and compensation payments—which is not cash limited.

The opportunity is being taken to provide for the appropriation in aid to class X, vote 1 of additional receipts from the Welsh office, representing contributions to the Centre for Information on Language Teaching, and from OFSTED, representing their contribution to the costs of the third international maths and science study. There will be no increase in net provision on the vote as a result.

The increase of £3,415,000 on class X, vote 2 is to be made available to the Higher Education Funding Council for the costs of students attending diploma in social work courses and funding of probation training. The opportunity has also been taken to provide for the appropriation in aid of additional receipts from the scale of properties by the Royal College of Art to support increased capital expenditure by the Higher Education Funding Council for England. This increase will be offset by transfers of £2,946,000 from the Department of Health and £469,000 from the Home Office and increased receipts, and will not therefore add to the planned total for public expenditure.

The reduction to the cash limit on class X, vote 6 arises principally because fewer independent registered inspectors than expected put themselves forward to lead primary and special school inspections. A number of the inspections planned for 1994–95 have therefore been postponed.