HC Deb 16 January 1996 vol 269 cc539-40W
Ms Mowlam

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the change in Government spending in Northern Ireland in the law, order and protective services budget in(a) 1995–96, (b) 1996–97 and (c)0 1997–98; and if he will indicate the sums of money by which other areas of public spending will benefit from these savings in each of these years. [8222]

Sir John Wheeler

The information is as follows:

£million
1995–96 1996–97 1997–98
1993 Public Expenditure Survey Outcome 944 963 963
1995 Public Expenditure Survey Outcome 1905 858 858
1Latest estimated outturn.

The fact that my right hon. and learned Friend has been able to reallocate these savings within the Northern Ireland block to social and economic programmes has clearly been beneficial. As all savings within the block are combined and used to meet pressures, it is not possible to be precise about where the savings have been allocated.

Further information was given by my right hon. and learned Friend in his reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Ribble Valley (Mr. Evans) on 11 December 1995, Official Report, columns 541–42.