HC Deb 01 February 1996 vol 270 cc948-50W
Mr. Waterson

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what changes there have been in the cash limits or running costs limits of his Department. [13179]

Mr. Roger Evans

Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary supplementary estimate the cash limit for class XIII, vote 3—housing benefit administration and council tax benefit administration, payments into the social fund in respect of discretionary expenditure and other grants—will be increased by £1,550,000 from £417,705,000 to £419,255,000. The cash limit for class XIII, vote 4—administration and miscellaneous services—will be increased by £19,355,000 from £2,676,396,000 to £2,695,751,000.

The revision for vote 3 takes account of an increase in the grant in aid to Independent Living, £1,550,000, to enable it to continue to help severely disabled persons to live independently, partly offset by a reduction of £1,125,000 on Department of Health and Social Services (Northern Ireland) vote 5. The balance of £425,000 will be charged to the reserve and will not therefore add to the planned total of public expenditure.

Vote 4 revisions take account of increased requirements resulting from policy changes and work load increases—£93,378,000 of which £62,967,000 is running costs a reduction of £212,000 (running costs) offset by a corresponding increase in Department of Health administration and miscellaneous health services and personal social services England, class XII, vote 2, a reduction of £10,000 (running costs) offset by a corresponding increase on Department of Health and Social Services (Northern Ireland) vote 3, an increase of £50,000 (running costs) offset by a corresponding reduction on schools, research and miscellaneous services class X, vote 1 and an increase of £1,000,000 (running costs) offset by a corresponding reduction on Department of Employment: Employment Service, class v, vote 2, an increase of £105,000 in running cost cover for services provided to the Department of Health and Social Services (Northern Ireland) on repayment and an increase of £74,851,000 in appropriations in aid.

Further running costs changes arise from a reduction of £6,239,000 as a result of a re-allocation to capital and other current expenditure and an increase of £5,633,000 in value added tax refunds.

As a result of these changes the running costs limit of the Department of Social Security will be increased by £52,028,000 from £3,035,513,000 to £3,087,541,000.

The additional vote 4 requirements will be charged to the reserve and will not therefore add to the planned total of public expenditure.