HC Deb 01 February 1996 vol 270 cc859-60W
Mr. Thomason

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on cash and running cost limits for the Northern Ireland Office, Northern Ireland departmental services, the independent living fund and certain national agricultural schemes for 1995–96. [13453]

Sir Patrick Mayhew

Subject to parliament approval of the necessary supplementary estimate, it is proposed that the cash limit for class XVI vote I—the Northern Ireland Office—will be increased by £15,650,000 from £888,655,000 to £904,305,000. This reflects the take-up of end year flexibility on capital and departmental running costs, and the additional expenditure on compensation and the opening of border roads.

The cash limit which covers most Northern Ireland departmental services will be increased by £97,622,000 from £3,936,723,000 to £4,034,345,000. This increase reflects the take-up of end year flexibility on capital, departmental running costs and health, the EU peace and reconciliation programme expenditure and other technical changes.

The cash limit for the independent living fund—Northern Ireland Department of Health and Social Services vote 5—had been reduced by £1,125,000 reflecting lower than expected demands on the fund. This amount will be transferred to class XIII, vote 3.

The cash limit covering national agriculture capital grant schemes and certain assistance for production, marketing and processing and the fishing industry will increase by £1,120,000 from £6,882,000 to £8,002,000 as a result of the take-up of entitlement to end year flexibility on capital—£670,000—and a transfer from Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food of £450,000 in respect of the scheme to decommission nephrops vessels in Northern Ireland.

The combined gross running cost for the Northern Ireland Office and Northern Ireland Departments will be increased by £29,782,000 from £789,017,000 to £818,799,000. This reflects the take-up of £29,877,000 of end year flexibility entitlement announced by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on 13 July 1995, Official Report, columns 776–82, a net transfer of £95,000 to the Department of Social Security in respect of work by the staff resources unit and adjustments to agency services. Of the revised gross running cost provision, £175,149,000 is for the Northern Ireland office and £643,650,000 is for Northern Ireland Departments.

The increases will be offset by transfers or charged to the reserve and will not therefore add to the planned total of public expenditure.