HC Deb 17 January 1997 vol 288 cc398-9W
Mr. Milburn

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what factors underlie the increase in the provision for gross running costs of civil Departments compared with revised plans as set out in the Red Book paragraph 5.30; and if he will provide a breakdown of the increase by Department, indicating, where possible, executive agencies separately. [8277]

Mr. Waldegrave

[holding answer 9 December 1996]: Compared with an estimated 1996–97 outturn of £14,919 million for running costs of civil Departments, the Government's planned expenditure on running costs of £14,736 million in 1999–2000 represents a fall of 7 per cent. in real terms over three years.

The increases in running costs provision for 1997–98 and 1998–99 are more than accounted for by increases on anti-fraud and anti-evasion measures—an additional £760 million of running costs over three years—and on prisons. Additional provision has also been given to the agriculture Departments to fund the continuing package of measures to counter BSE.

The table following compares the Government's plans published in the public expenditure statistical analyses—PESA—1996–97 with new plans for each departmental group. New plans may be subject to further revision before the Government's plans are set out in detail in the 1997 departmental reports, due to be published in March 1997, which will include information on the running costs of executive agencies.

1997–98 £ million 1998–99 £ million
Departmental group PESA 1996–97 New Plans Change PESA 1996–97 New Plans Change
Foreign Office 540 525 -15 539 535 -4
Overseas Development 58 56 -2 58 56 -2
Agriculture, Fisheries and Food 466 524 58 468 522 54
Trade and Industry 435 447 12 432 440 8
Transport 395 393 -2 376 374 -2
Environment 511 455 -56 501 445 -56
Home Office 1,865 1,928 63 1,907 2,013 106
Legal departments 776 766 -10 775 759 -16
Education and Employment 1,193 1,130 -63 1,189 1,107 -82
National Heritage 39 64 25 39 63 24
Health 278 276 -2 278 276 -2
Social Security 3,426 3,539 113 3,105 3,259 154
Scotland 378 382 4 374 373 -1
Wales 76 75 -1 76 74 -2
Northern Ireland 794 787 -7 792 787 -5
Chancellor's departments 2,929 2,944 15 2,919 2,998 79
Cabinet Office 566 558 -8 567 557 -10
Total 14,725 14,850 125 14,395 14,637 242
Plus: Changes between FSBR95 and publication of PESA 105 114
Equals: Difference between new and revised plans 230 356

Note:

See Annex B to Chapter 5 of FSBR 1997–98 for details of departmental groupings.

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