§ Jane GriffithsTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if there are proposals to amend his Department's departmental expenditure limit and running costs limit for 1999–2000. [110379]
§ Mr. Chris SmithSubject to Parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimate for Class XI, Vote 1, the DCMS Departmental Expenditure Limit (DEL) for 1999–2000 will be increased by £6,181,000 from £995,858,000 to £1,002,139,000.
This is to provide for increased expenditure of £8,600,000, partly funded by draw down of £2,761,000 of Departmental Unallocated Provision, for meeting the settlement of final accounts on the completion of the St. Pancras building; a transfer of £2,000,000 from the Department for Education and Employment (Class I, Vote 1) for awards to dance and drama students; a transfer of £592,000 from the Department for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (Class III, Vote 1) for the maintenance of Marlborough House; increased expenditure of £400,000 on DCMS gross running costs offset by an increase in refunds of eligible deductible input VAT; and to provide for the receipts of £3,200,000 from the National Lottery operator's licence fees and from the National Lottery Distribution Fund to meet the administrative costs of the National Lottery Commission to be appropriated in aid of the Vote.
The increases will be offset by transfers, savings or a charge on the DEL Reserve, and will not, therefore, add to the planned total of public expenditure.