§ Mr. TrendTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what changes he proposes to make to his Department's cash and running costs limits in 1995–96. [27751]
Mr. GununerSubject to parliamentary approval of the necessary revised and supplementary estimates, the following cash and running cost limits will be revised.
The cash limit for class VII, vote 1, housing and construction, covering sections B C D and H of that vote in original estimates, will be reduced by £135,214,000 from £247,204,000 to £111,990,000. This change reflects the transfer of responsibility for net expenditure by the Energy Efficiency Office from class VII, vote 1 to class VII, vote 3.
The cash limit for class VII, vote 2, regeneration and countryside and wildlife, will be increased by £450,000 from £1,499,883,000 to £1,500,333,000. The change reflects an increase of £450,000 for the national parks supplementary grant to finance the setting up costs of the new national parks authorities which will be funded from retained PES provision.
The non-voted cash limit DOE/RCW will be increased by £1,350,000 from £1,480,883,000 to £1,482,233,000. This reflects the increase of £450,000 in class VII, vote 2 and a further increase of £900,000 in respect of non-voted derelict land grant supplementary credit approvals which were omitted from the original cash limit.
The cash limit for class VII, vote 3, environmental protection and water, will be increased by £140,214,000 from £171,321,000 to £311,535,000. The change reflects a transfer of £135,214,000 from the cash limit for class VII, vote 1 in respect of net provision for energy office expenditure; and provision of £5,000,000 to cover the initial starting up costs of the new Environment Agency.
The cash limit for class VII, vote 4, local government and planning, will be reduced by £33,000 from £30,087,143,000 to £30,087,110,000 to reflect savings in expenditure by the Valuation Office agency and valuation tribunals. The savings will be used within vote 4, to cover a residual payment of unaccompanied children grant, which is part of the non-cash-limited section of the vote.
251WThe cash limit for class VII, vote 9, PSA Services, will be reduced by £10,534,000 from £46,905,000 to £36,371,000 and the gross running cost limit on this vote will be reduced by £12,931,000 from £52,931,000 to £40,000,000. The reduction reflects savings achieved in the residuary functions in severance figures and secondee numbers arising out of the most recent forecasts.
Increases on votes 2 and 3 will be fully offset by reductions in other cash-limited expenditure and will not therefore add to the planned total of public expenditure.