HC Deb 13 June 2000 vol 351 cc597-8W
Mr. Goggins

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what changes will be made to his Departmental Expenditure Limit and running costs limit for his Department and the Office of Telecommunications. [126230]

Mr. Byers

Subject to Parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimate, the voted element of the Departmental Expenditure Limit for the Department of Trade and Industry will be increased by £58,372,000 from £3,445,344,000 to £3,503,716,000 and the gross running costs limit will be increased by £1,000,000 from £400,002,000 to £401,002,000. The net provision of Class IX Vote I will be increased by £58,372,000, which results from:

  1. (i) additional provision of £45,000,000 for operating aid to coal producers;
  2. (ii) additional provision of £15,000,000 from the Capital Modernisation Fund for the promotion of innovation clusters and business incubators in the regions;
  3. (iii) the transfer of £866,000 to the Scottish Executive, £496,000 to the National Assembly for Wales, and £266,000 to the relevant Northern Ireland Department representing their share of the Phoenix fund to promote enterprise among disadvantaged groups and in deprived areas;
  4. (iv) the reclassification as running costs of £1,000,000 of programme expenditure provision for the Small Business Service.

The £45,000,000 for operating aid to coal producers will be charged to the Reserve and will not therefore add to the planned total of public expenditure.

In addition, subject to Parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimate, the Departmental Expenditure Limit for the Office of Telecommunications will be increased by £2,399,000 from £1,000 to £2,400,000 and the gross running costs limit will be increased by £1,484,000 from £11,347,000 to £12,831,000. These changes result from:

  1. (i) an increase of £1,484,000 in the running costs provision to ensure a competitive market in internet access which underpins e-commerce;
  2. (ii) an increase of £946,000 in the current expenditure provision for co-operation with economic regulators overseas;
  3. (iii) an increase of £250,000 in the capital expenditure provision to implement an electronic records management system.

These increases will be offset by a compensating increase in appropriations in aid. However, adoption of the EC Telecoms Licensing Directive will result in a reduction of £2,399,000 in the overall appropriations in aid provision.

The consequential increase of £2,399,000 in the net provision will be charged to the Reserve and will not therefore add to the planned total of public expenditure.