§ Mr. Bill WalkerTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proposals he has to change the Overseas Development Administration cash limits for 1996–97 [13930]
§ Dr. Liam FoxSubject to parliamentary approval of the necessary supplementary estimate, the cash limit for class II, vote 5 will be reduced overall by £5,288,000 from £1,622,036,000 to £1,616,748,000 and the ODA running cost limit will be increased by £1,000,000 from £56,708,000 to £57,708,000.
The overall reduction is the net effect of outward public expenditure survey transfers to the diplomatic wing of £5,500,000 in respect of the British Council and £750,000 in respect of the Bosnia peace implementation conference and £100,000 to the Office of Science and Technology in respect of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission.
378WThese reductions are offset by an increase of £1,000,000 to ODA running costs in respect of a partial take-up of end of year flexibility arrangements announced by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on 12 July 1996, Official Report, columns 326–31 and an increase of £61,000 for expected costs for the Crown Agents privatisation programme. The increases will be offset by transfers or charged to the reserve and will not, therefore, add to the planned total of public expenditure.