§ Mr. MerchantTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what changes will be made to the cash limits of his Department in 1996–97. [14207]
§ Mr. DorrellSubject to the approval of the necessary supplementary estimate, the cash limit for class XI, vote 1—hospital, community health, family health and related services, England—will be reduced by £16,641,000, from £27,807,821,000 to £27,791,180,000. This reduction allows for a transfer of £124,896,000 following a reappraisal of drugs budget requirements and a transfer of £8,000 to Department of Health and Social Services Northern Ireland for the National Poisons Information Service. The reduction is partially offset by increases of £81,121,000 in respect of the take up of entitlement under the end-year flexibility scheme; £25,000,000 for a claim on the reserve to support priority services, and by a transfer of £2,142,000 from class XVIII, vote 4—Office of the Parliamentary Commissioner and health service commissioners—as an offset for previously funded activity not now required.
The cash limit for class XI, vote 2—Department of Health, administration, miscellaneous health and personal social services, England—will be reduced by £169,000, from £1,208,599,000 to £1,208,430,000. This reduction allows for transfers of £494,000 to class XII, vote 3—Department of Social Security: administration—made up of £366,000 (£329,000 running costs) for accommodation charges, £68,000 running costs for telecommunications and £60,000 for services provided by staff at Richmond house and a transfer of £117,000 to DHSS, Northern Ireland to obtain advice and information about medical devices. The reduction is partially offset by a transfer of £442,000 from class XII, vote 3—Department of Social Security, administration and miscellaneous services—made up of £352,000 running costs for the production of milk tokens, £70,000 running costs for the provision of petty cash services at Richmond house and £20,000 towards the administrative costs of Age Concern.
The Department's gross running cost limit will be reduced by £5,099,000 from £280,057,000 to £274,958,000. This reflects a reduction of £5,124,000 mainly to meet shortfalls on receipts, partially offset by the transfers listed.
All increases will either be offset by savings, increased receipts or transfers to or from other votes or charged to the reserve and will not, therefore, add to the planned total of public expenditure.