§ Mr. BrazierTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the cash and running costs limits for the Northern Ireland Office/Northern Ireland departmental services, the Independent Living Fund, certain national agricultural schemes and discretionary rent allowance payments for 1996–97. [14258]
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§ Sir Patrick MayhewSubject to parliamentary approval of the necessary supplementary estimate, it is proposed that the cash limit for class XV. vote 1—the Northern Ireland Office—will be increased by £46,216,000 from £862,858,000 to £909,074,000. This reflects the take-up of end-year flexibility on capital and departmental running costs, additional expenditure on compensation and police costs, the additional expenditure required to meet the cost of elections held in Northern Ireland on 30 May 1996 for the purpose of providing delegates to the forum for the promotion of dialogue and understanding within Northern Ireland, the expenditure to cover the cost of setting up and servicing the forum, the associated political talks and related purposes as well as allowances and expenses of delegates attending the forum and the political talks, and other minor technical changes.
The cash limit which covers most Northern Ireland departmental services will be increased by £35,209,000 from £4,151,983,000 to £4,187,192,000. This increase reflects the take-up of end year flexibility on capital, departmental running costs and health, the transfer of £47,198,000 to the Northern Ireland Office cash limit on class XV, vote 1 and other technical changes.
The cash limit for the independent living fund—Northern Ireland Department of Health and Social Services, vote 6—has been reduced by £337,000 reflecting lower than expected demands on this fund.
The cash limit covering national expenditure capital grant schemes and certain assistance for production, marketing and processing and the fishing industry will increase by £646,000 from £19,957,000 to £20,603,000 as a result of the take up of entitlement to end-year flexibility on capital.
The cash limit for discretionary rent allowance—Northern Ireland Department of Health and Social Services vote 6—has been reduced by £71,000 reflecting lower than expected demands on this fund.
The combined gross running cost limit for the Northern Ireland Office and Northern Ireland Departments will be increased by £33,902,000 from £787,695,000 to £821,597,000. This reflects the take-up in 1996–97 of £32,000,000 of the end-year flexibility entitlement announced by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on 12 July 1996, Official Report, columns 330–31, a net transfer of £1,885,000 from the Department of Social Security in respect of agency services and minor transfer totalling 17,000. Of the revised gross running cost provision, £174,354,000 if for the Northern Ireland Office and £647,243,000 is for Northern Ireland Departments.
The increase will be offset by transfers or charged to the reserve and will not therefore add to the planned total of public expenditure.