§ Mr. Malcolm BruceTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if, following the recent Budget, she will give her estimate of the total real level of her Department's budget, in 1995–96 prices, in(a) 1997–98 and (b) 1998–99; if she 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 she will make a statement. [8309]
§ Mr. Paul MurphyThe figures requested for my Department's spending plans within the Control Total are as follows: £7,791 million, £7,664 million, £7,864 million and £7,741 million. In addition Northern Ireland will benefit from part of the expenditure outside the Control Total which was announced in the Budget, for Welfare to Work and spending under the Capital Receipts Initiative.
§ Mr. BruceTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what new plans she has to introduce cuts and savings in her Department as a result of the effect on her 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 she will make a statement. [8310]
§ Mr. MurphyAll Departments are reallocating spending within their Departmental ceilings as part of the Comprehensive Spending Review.