HC Deb 14 July 1997 vol 298 cc10-1W
Mr. Malcolm Bruce

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what new plans he has to introduce cuts and savings in his Department as a result of the effect on his Department's budgets for 1997–98 and 1998–99 of the upward revisions to the GDP deflators in the Budget on 2 July; and if he will make a statement. [8319]

Angela Eagle

All Departments are reallocating spending within their Departmental ceilings as part of the Comprehensive Spending Review. The planned total for local authority grants (net Aggregate External Finance) for 1998–99 was announced in the Budget.

Mr. Malcolm Bruce

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if, following the recent Budget, he will give his estimate of the total real level of his Department's budget, in 1995–96 prices, in(a) 1997–98 and (b) 1998–99; if he will estimate what such figures were for (1) 1997–98 and (2) 1998–99 following the November 1996 Budget on the basis of the estimates of the GDP deflator contained in that Budget; and if he will make a statement. [8318]

Angela Eagle

The figures requested for my Department's spending plans within the Control Total are as follows: £41,776 million; £41,227 million; £42,244 million; and £41,249 million. In addition, local authorities will benefit from spending under the Capital Receipts Initiative, which is outside the Control Total, as announced in the Budget. The figures for 1997–98 have not been adjusted to take account of the Summer Supplementary Estimates presented to Parliament on 8 July but not yet approved.