HC Deb 13 June 2000 vol 351 cc557-8W
Mr. Miller

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what proposals there are to amend his Departmental Expenditure Limit and running costs limit for 2000–01. [126028]

Mr. Prescott

Subject to Parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimates for Class III, Votes 1 and 8, the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions' Departmental Expenditure Limits for 2000–01 will change as follows.

The DETR Main Programmes Departmental Expenditure Limit will be increased b £22,928,000 from £10,838,414,000 to £10,861,342,000. This increase reflects transfers from other Government Departments of £1,390,000, a transfer of £24,000 from the Invest to Save Budget and a claim on the DEL Reserve of £21,514,000. The changes are set out in greater detail as follows.

  1. (i) The changes for Class III, Vote 1 (Housing, construction, regeneration, regional policy, planning, and countryside and wildlife, England) are as follows: £1,200,000 will be transferred from Class IV, Vote 1 (Home Office administration, police, probation, immigration, and other services, England and Wales) to the New Deal for Communities in respect of the Neighbourhood wardens unit; a transfer of £190,000 from Class I, Vote 1 (Department for Education and Employment: programmes and central services) for the Rough Sleepers Initiative; and a transfer of £24,000 to English Nature for an Invest to Save programme.
    2. 558W
  2. (ii) The change for Class III, Vote 8 (Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency) is an increase of £21,514,000 for the implementation of the second phase of the Graduated Vehicle Excise Duty programme.
  3. (iii) As a consequence changes to Class III, Vote 8 the DETR gross running cost limit will be increased by £16,372,000 from £684,556,000 to £700,928,000. This is the result of an increase in running costs on Class III, Vote 8 for the Graduated Vehicle Excise Duty programme.

The increase in the DETR Main Programmes Departmental Expenditure Limit will be offset by transfers and by a charge on the DEL Reserve and will not therefore add to the planned total of public expenditure.