§ Mrs. LawrenceTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to change the overall 1999–2000 Departmental Expenditure Limit for expenditure financed by the Windfall Tax. [102903]
§ Mr. Andrew SmithThe overall Departmental Expenditure Limit for expenditure financed by the Windfall tax will be increased by £43,454,000 from £1,491,839,000 to £1,535,293,000. The increase is the effect of the take up of end year flexibility entitlements announced by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on 27 July 1999,Official Report, column 393W, by the Department for Education and Employment (£38,654,000); the Prison Service (£173,000); the Department of Social Security (£3,378,000); the Scottish Executive (–460,000) and the National Assembly for Wales (–789,000).
The individual elements of the increase have already been announced but the impact on the overall limit has not. The increases will be charged to the Reserve and will not therefore add to the planned total of public expenditure.