§ Mr. Ernie RossTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if the Lord Advocate proposes any changes to the Crown Office cash and running costs. [30454]
§ Mr. DewarSubject to Parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimate the cash limit for Class VIII, Vote 7 will be increased by £3,080,000 from £45,337,000 to £48,417,000.
Within this total the running cost limit will be increased from £43,565,000 to £44,824,000.
The Supplementary Estimate is required to meet the Department's ongoing commitment to the Law and Order programme in Scotland and additional expenditure required as a result of legislation relating to Devolution for Scotland. This will utilise the end year flexibility as announced by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on 17 July 1997, Official Report, columns 245–50.
§ Mr. Ernie RossTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what changes he intends to make to the cash limits and running cost provision for 1997–98 within his responsibility. [30455]
§ Mr. DewarSubject to Parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimates, I intend to make changes to 7 voted cash limits, 2 non-voted cash blocks and 2 running costs limits.
The cash limit for class XIII, vote 1, Agriculture, fisheries and environmental services, Scotland, will be increased by a total of £99,725,000 from £312,889,000 to £412,614,000. The changes include take-up of £4,725,000 capital end year flexibility entitlement. The increase reflects re-phasing of project expenditure and comprises £2,465,000 for the new Fishery Research vessel, £1,520,000 for Harbour Grants and various capital projects for the Fisheries Research Services, the Scottish Agricultural College, Scottish Agricultural Biological and Research Institute and the Royal Botanic Gardens totalling £740,000. The increase also takes account of payments to the Public Works Loan Board for the commutation of £95,000,000 of debt owed by the North of Scotland Water Authority (resulting in reduced provision in future years for the relevant External Finance Limit).
79WThe cash limit for class XIII, vote 2, Local Government, Housing, Transport, Other Environmental Services and European Funds, Scotland will be increased by a net total of £80,985,000 from £5,483,876,000 to £5,564,861,000. The net increase reflects an increase of £312,000 in Housing Support Grant as a result of revised economic assumptions and a net increase of £38,400,000 in respect of grant to enable redemption of Scottish Homes debt. There has been an increase in capital expenditure of £10,295,000 for motorways and trunk roads due to higher than expected expenditure for land acquisition on completed road projects and an increase of £585,000 for grants to Caledonian MacBrayne for Piers and Harbours improvements. These are offset by a reduction of £2,968,000 for grants to Strathclyde Passenger Transport Executive, a reduction of £844,000 for grants for the Northern Isles Shipping Services with the balance of £7,068,000 met by a transfer from the non-voted cash limit, SO/LA1. There is also an increase in provision of £35,205,000 for Revenue Support Grant which is covered by a transfer of £33,300,000 from SO/LA1; £2,000,000 from the non-voted cash limit SO/LA2; £104,000 transferred from DSS and a reduction of £199,000 following a redetermination of Revenue Support Grant for 1992–93.
The cash limit for class XIII, vote 3, Education, industry, arts and libraries, Scotland, will be increased by £3,824,000 from £1,671,708,000 to £1,675,532,000. The increased cash limit takes account of a £10,800,000 reduction following the rescheduling of a major inward investment project. There has been an increase of £3,000,000 in respect of the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council and £2,000,000 in respect of FE colleges to provide emergency assistance to institutions with cash flow problems as a result of the delay in the payment of fees, both amounts being offset by a corresponding reduction in SO/LAI. There has been an increase of £24,000 transferred from class XIII, vote 6 in respect of the continuation of a welfare service within the National Museums of Scotland. There has also been an increase of £50,000 in respect of the Student Awards Agency for Scotland to meet the demands of additional running costs pressures. This is offset by a corresponding reduction in class XIII, vote 6. Provision has also been increased as a result of the Government's Welfare to Work scheme. £8,900,000 has been provided for the New Deal for Schools as a capital resource and £650,000 to assist young people and long term unemployed adults wishing to take further education courses before the launch of the New deal.
The cash limit for class XIII, vote 4, Hospital, community health, family health, other health services and welfare food, Scotland, will be increased by a net total of £31,428,000 from £3,707,049,000 to £3,738,477,000. The increase includes the cash limit increase of £16,907,000 announced on 14 October in respect of additional expenditure to reduce the effect of winter pressures on the NHS; a transfer of £373,000 from class XI, vote 2 for the cost of services provided by the Medical Devices Agency which were previously funded on a UK basis; a transfer of £80,000 to class XI, vote 2 for Scotland's contribution to the review of the Nurses, Midwives and Health Visitors Act 1979 and to the National Screening Committee; a transfer of £347,000 from class XVIII, vote 4 due to reduced costs of the NHS complaints procedures; a transfer of £19,000 from class XI, vote 1 in respect of 80W patients resident in England who attend a Scottish medical practice; a transfer of £6,000 to class XII, vote 3 for the setting up costs of the unit which will collect road traffic accident charges on behalf of NHS Trusts; and a transfer of £12,000 to class XVIII, vote 3 as a contribution towards the costs of the UK Anti-drugs Co-ordinator and Deputy. The NHS Trusts' External Financing Limit has also been decreased by £11,550,000 from -£28,037,000 to -£39,587,000.
The cash limit for class XIII, vote 5 will be increased by £2,380,000 from £662,635,000 to £665,015,000. The increase takes account of additional expenditure of £2,408,000 on Social Work Services (of which access to the Reserve has been granted for £1,500,000 in respect of grants to Asylum Seekers) and a transfer of £300,000 to SO/LA1 in respect of an increase in the local authority capital allocation for the Highland and Islands Fire Board. The vote will underspend by £1,000,000 to meet the adjustment of Scottish Homes balance sheet. There will also be a number of minor inter and intra vote transfers.
The cash limit for class XIII, vote 6, Scottish Office Administration, is being decreased by £274,000 from £150,074,000 to £149,800,000. Within this total running cost provision is being decreased by £50,000 from £136,142,000 to £136,092,000 as a result of a transfer to class XIII, vote 3. Provision for capital expenditure is being reduced by £224,000 to £13,082,000 reflecting transfers of £200,000 to class XVI, vote 4 and £24,000 to class XIII, vote 3 for the National Museums of Scotland.
The cash limit for class XIII, vote 8, Scottish Record Office, is being increased by a token amount of £1,000 to £5,173,000. Provision for capital expenditure is being increased by £201,000 to £1,287,000 to allow for remedial work to be undertaken on the Moat development project. Appropriations-in-Aid are being increased by £200,000 to £979,000 due to the receipt of a compensation payment in respect of the Moat project from the building contractor.
The non-voted cash limit SO/LA1, which covers non-housing capital expenditure by local authorities is to be reduced by a net total of £54,968,000 from £411,440,830 to £356,472,830. The net decrease reflects transfers of £300,000 from class XIII, vote 5 in respect of Fire capital provision, £33,300,000 to class XIII, vote 2 reflecting provision for the Spend to Save Scheme, £7,068,000 to class XIII, vote 2 reflecting provision for Roads and Transport, £6,400,000 in respect of Scottish Homes balance sheet adjustment, £5,000,000 to class XIII, vote 3 for the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council and Further Education Colleges and £3,500,000 to the non-voted element of Caledonian MacBrayne's external financing limit.
The non-voted cash limit SO/LA2 which covers Housing capital expenditure by local authorities will be reduced by £2,000,000 from £184,226,000 to £182,226,000 wholly reflecting a transfer to class XIII, vote 2 in respect of the Spend to Save Scheme.