HC Deb 25 June 1997 vol 296 cc519-20W
Mr. McDonnell

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what proposals he has to change the cash and running cost limits and external financing limits within his responsibility for 1997–98. [5592]

Mr. Prescott

Subject to Parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimates, the following changes will be made.

The cash limit for Class VI, Vote 2—Regeneration and Countryside and Wildlife-will be increased by £27,000,000 from £1,453,168,000 to £1,480,168,000. The increase, which will be met by a call on the Reserve, is required for the Urban Regeneration Agency (English Partnerships) to continue with the clearing and preparation of the Greenwich Peninsula site for the Millennium Exhibition.

The external financing limit for the Urban Regeneration Agency (English Partnerships) will be increased by £27,000,000 from £177,779,000 to £204,779,000.

The cash limit for Class VI, Vote 5 (Administration) covering sections A to J of that Vote, will be increased by £1,146,000 from £393,455,000 to £394,601,000. This change reflects: a new Section (G) for payments of £50,000 in respect of the sale of the Housing Corporation Loan Portfolio; a new Section (H) for payments of £61,000 in respect of the privatisation costs of the Building Research Establishment; a new Section (I) to make a payment of £1,085,000 to the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre in respect of client deposits; a new Section (J) with a net provision of £1,000 in order to allow short term loans to be made to the Queen Elizabeth H Conference Centre; a reduction of £51,000 to provision for Section A in order to find the increases sought for Sections G and J.

A part payment of £500,000 from the £1,085,000 for client deposits to the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre, for which provision is being sought in the new Section I, is required urgently. Pending approval of the Supplementary Estimate for Class VI, Vote 5, expenditure on this new service will therefore be met by repayable advances from the Contingencies fund.

All the increases will be offset by savings, transfers or will be charged to the reserve and will therefore not add to the planned total of public expenditure.