§ Dr. GodmanTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what proposals there are to amend the Northern Ireland Office Departmental Expenditure Limit and running costs limit for 1999–2000. [109974]
§ Mr. IngramAs the result of Devolution of the Departmental Expenditure Limit (DEL) for Northern Ireland shown in table 3.1 of Public Expenditure Statistical Analysis 1999–2000 has been split into two, one for the Northern Ireland Office £995,487,000 and the second for Northern Ireland Departments £4,856,247,000.
Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimate for Class XV, Vote 1 the Northern Ireland Office Departmental Expenditure Limit for 1999–2000 will be increased by £29,790,000 from £995,487,000 to £1,025,277,000. The running costs limit will be increased by £7,783,000 from £193,523,000 to 241W £201,306,000. The increase is the net effect of take-up of end year flexibility of £15,545,000 and an additional £5,868,000 for the Bloody Sunday Inquiry. Other changes to the DEL include £8,144,000 from Northern Ireland Departments and £233,000 from the Home Office.
The increase will be offset by a charge on the DEL Reserve and will not therefore add to the planned total of public expenditure.