§ Lord Actonasked Her Majesty's Government:
What changes they propose to make to the 1998–99 cash and running cost limits for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. [HL3637]
§ Baroness Symons of Vernham DeanSubject to parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimates, the following changes will be made.
The cash limit for Class II, Vote 2 (Other External Relations) will be increased by £23,592,000 from £212,068,000 to £235,660,000. The increase is required to cover UK contributions to certain OSCE, United Nations and WEU missions of £23,085,000 and also for transfer of £507,000 from the Department for International Development towards the know-how fund for assistance to Central and Eastern Europe.
The increase will be offset by transfers or charged to the Reserve and will not, therefore, add to the planned total of public expenditure.