§ Mr. Malcolm BruceTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the level of 967W the contingency reserves for (a) 1998–99, (b) 1999–2000, (c) 2000–01 and (d) 2001–02; what allocations to or from the reserves have been made since the November 1998 pre-Budget report; and if he will make a statement. [69244]
§ Mr. Milburn[holding answer 4 February 1999]: The Economic and Fiscal Strategy Report of June 1998 set the Reserve in 1998–99 at £3.8 billion.
968WThe 1998–99 Winter and Supplementary Estimates and associated changes to non-Voted provision, which have been presented to the House, allocated £3.4 billion of the 1998–99 Reserve to departments. This includes the extra £250 million for the NHS in 1998–99, announced in the pre-Budget Report.
The Departmental Expenditure Limit Reserve for 1999–2000, 2000–01 and 2001–02 was set out in the Comprehensive Spending Review White Paper (Cm 4011).