HC Deb 01 February 1996 vol 270 c873W
Mr. Harry Greenway

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has for changes to the 1995–96 cash and running costs limits within his responsibilities. [13624]

Mr. Howard

Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary supplementary estimate, the cash limit for class VIII, vote 1—Home Office administration, police, probation and other services, England and Wales—will be increased by £11,809,000 from £4,440,076,000 to £4,451,885.000. This increase is the net effect of the partial take-up of running cost end year flexibility of £9,100,000—as announced by my right hon. Friend the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, on 13 July 1995,Official Report, column 776–82, transfer from Department of the Environment, in respect of safer cities projects in Wales, transfer from Central Office of Information in respect of the media adviser service, transfer of running costs from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in respect of the United Kingdom central authority, transfer from Department of Social Security in respect of housing benefit, temporary absence from home, transfer from Property Holdings in respect to the refurbishment of Lunar house, transfer from the Ministry of Defence in respect of medical evacuation costs from the former Yugoslavia and a transfer of £1 million from non voted police credit approvals. This transfer from non-voted provision reduced the non-voted cash limit—HO/LACAP—by £1,000,000 from £115,265,000 to £114.265,000.

The cash limit on class VIII, vote 2—prisons, England and Wales—will be increased by £18,905,000 from £1,660,160,000 to £1,679,065,000. This increase has been reduced from the amount originally sought by £1,565,000, equivalent to the excess of expenditure over provision in 1994–95. The increase will be charged to the reserve and partly offset by the surrender of £6,470,000 end year flexibility. Additional provision is required to meet the further costs arising from the implementation of recommendations of the report of Sir John Woodcock into escapes from Whitemoor prison of 9 September 1994. As a result of reallocation of provision between subheads the running cost provision for vote 2 will be reduced by £5,821,000.

The Home Office running costs limit, which covers votes 1 and 2, will be increased by £3,718,000 from £1,740,615,000 to £1,744,333,000.