HC Deb 16 February 1999 vol 325 cc609-10W
Mr. Peter Bradley

To ask the Attorney-General what changes he proposes for the Crown Prosecution Service's cash and running cost limits for 1998–99. [71998]

The Attorney-General

Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary supplementary estimate, the cash limit for Class VIII Vote 4 will be increased by £1,007,000 from £228,926,000 to £229,933,000 and the gross running costs limit for Class VIII Vote 4 will be increased by £1,007,000 from £220,920,000 to £221,927,000.

The cash limit increase of £1,007,000 consists of an increase of £1,300,000 and a decrease of £293,000. The increase is required to fund the early departure costs of senior lawyers who are leaving the CPS on structural grounds as a result of implementing the move to a new 42 Area structure. The decrease results from the need to transfer £227,000 to the Treasury Solicitor's Department in respect of the balance of the cost of the Glidewell review and a transfer of £66,000 to the Home Office, which represents a CPS contribution towards the cost of Integrating Business and Information Systems in the Criminal Justice system (IBIS) initiative. The increases will be offset by transfers and a change to the Reserve and will not therefore add to the planned total of public expenditure.