Running Costs and Cash Limits (Hansard, 5 June 1996)

§ Mr. Patrick Thompson
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what proposals there are to change the 1996–97 cash limit or running costs limit for the Office of Public Service and Her Majesty's Stationery Office.[31597]

§ Mr. Freeman
Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary supplementary and revised estimates, the cash limit for the Office of Public Service, class XVII, vote 1, will be increased by £434,000 from £173,540,000 to £173,974,000 and the gross running cost limit will be decreased by £14,411,000 from £88,512,000 to £74,101,000. The cash limit for stationery and printing payments to Her Majesty's Stationery Office, class XVII, vote 4, will be reduced by £1,091,000 from £2,282,000 to £1,191,000. The changes reflect the transfer from HMSO to the Office of Public Service, from the expected date of its sale, of the subsidy to public libraries on Government and other publications, and the supply of publications to United Kingdom members of the European Parliament together with the costs of the HMSO residual body; the transfer of provision for central services to the Cabinet Office: other services, class XVIII, vote 1; and the transfer of the Recruitment and Assessment Services Agency and Occupational Health and Safety Agency from gross to net running costs. The increase in the cash limit for the Office of Public Service will be offset by a transfer and will not, therefore, add to the planned total of public expenditure.

§ Mr. Matthew Banks
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what changes are proposed to the Treasury's running costs and cash limits in 1996–97. [31737]

§ Mr. Jack
Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary revised estimate, the running costs limit for class XVI, vote 1 will be reduced by £804,000 from £58,122,000 to £57,318,000. The cash limit remains unchanged. The reduction reflects savings which will meet the cost of advisers fees in connection with the privatisation of certain Paymaster functions, which is still subject to ministerial decision.

§ Mr. Banks
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what changes are proposed to the Registry of Friendly Societies' cash and running costs limits in 1996–97. [31738]

§ Mrs. Angela Knight
Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary supplementary estimate, the cash limit for class XVI, vote 9, the Registry of Friendly Societies will be increased by £1,330,000 from £6,340,000 to £7,670,000. The increase is required for additional capital expenditure in respect of the registry's relocation to Victory house in 1996–97.
451W
The increase will be offset by savings on class XVI, votes 1 and 16, and will not, therefore, add to the planned total of public expenditure.