HC Deb 27 October 1995 vol 264 cc856-8W
Mr. Hawkins

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make available the latest 1995–96 indicative standard spending assessments and disaggregated budget figures for unitary authorities. [40631]

Mr. Gwilym Jones

The figures, along with those issued by the Welsh Office on 19 July, are set out as follows. They show the funding the new authorities would have received if they had taken up their responsibilities on 1 April 1995. The figures will be discussed by the Welsh Consultative Council on Local Government Finance on 16 November.

Mr. Hague

Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary supplementary estimates, the cash limit on class XV, vote 1 will be reduced by £5,000,000 from £29,557,000 to £24,557,000; the cash limit on class XV, vote 2 will be increased by £14,481,000 from £645,453,000 to £659,934,000; the cash limit on class XV, vote 3 will be increased by £7,749,000 from £553,941,000 to £561,690,000; the cash limit on class XV, vote 6 will be reduced by £2 million from £2,266,342,000 to £2,264,342,000 and the cash limit on class XV, vote 7 will be increased by £275,000 from £8,471,000 to £8,746,000.

Running costs limits for the Welsh Office and the office of Her Majesty's chief inspector of schools which were not spent in 1994–95 have been carried forward under the normal end-year flexibility arrangements into 1995–96, increasing the running costs limits by £486,000 from £75,412,000 to £75,898,000 and £250,000 from £3,281,000 to £3,531,000 respectively.

The local authority capital cash limit—WO/LACAP—will be increased by £15,019,000 from £500,514,000 to £515,533,000. The Housing for Wales cash limit WO/HFW will be increased by £2.3 million from £103,210,000 to £105,510,000.

The decrease in the cash limit for vote 1 arises from lower forecasts of the amount required to meet claims for agricultural grants and measures.

The increase in the cash limit for vote 2 is mainly in respect of (i) an additional £11,009,000—including £6,247,000 take-up of end-year flexibility entitlement—to meet additional demand for payments of regional selective assistance; (ii) an increase in the Welsh Development Agency's grant in aid and public dividend capital of £1,400,000 (offset by a corresponding decrease in WDA's non-voted provision); (iii) an additional £750,000 for grant maintained schools—take-up of end-year flexibility entitlement—for essential backlog maintenance.

The increase in the cash limit for vote 3 allows mainly for the take-up of end-year flexibility entitlement for the central Government road programme—£2,288,000—the National Library of Wales—£1,700,000—and secure accommodation—£3,250,000.

The decrease in the cash limit for vote 6 reflects mainly a reduction in the provision for shadow authorities' special grant in respect of the proportion of the grant that will not be claimed until 1996–97. Of the £2,000,000 decrease, £1,750,000 has been transferred to WO/LACAP and the remaining £259,000 has been transferred to class VIII, vote 1 as a contribution towards the costs involved in the reorganisation of police authorities in Wales.

The increase in the cash limit for vote 7 results mainly from the take-up of end-year flexibility entitlement£250,000—and a transfer of £25,000 from class XV, vote 2 in respect of payments to the Welsh Joint Education Committee for examination data.

The increase in the non-voted cash limit WO/LACAP comprises (i) £1,750,000 transferred from class XV, vote 6, and (ii) the take-up of end-year flexibility entitlement of £13,269,000—mainly for information technology for local government reorganisation and the strategic development scheme.

The increase in the Housing for Wales cash limit reflects the take-up of end-year flexibility entitlement.

None of the proposed changes will add to the planned total of public expenditure.

Forward to