HC Deb 15 February 2001 vol 363 cc227-8W
Mr. Russell Brown

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what proposals there are to amend the Scotland Office Departmental Expenditure Limit for 2000–01. [151111]

Mrs. Liddell

Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimate for Class XIII, Vote 1, Scotland and Transfers to the Scottish Consolidated Fund, the Departmental Expenditure Limit (DEL) for 2000–01 will be increased by £77,265,000 from £15,305,728,000 to £15,382,993,000.

The changes in the DEL include the following:

  • a draw forward of £32,000,000 from 2001–02 for European structural funds;
  • an increase of £23,031,000 for the cost of the Lockerbie trial; an increase of £2,300,000 for additional funding for forestry;
  • £206,000 for the cost of flood damage and coastal work;
  • £1,738,000 from the Civil Service Modernisation Fund;
  • £40,000 for the Employment coalition;
  • £800,000 for the costs of Kosovo refugees; and
  • £17,893,000 previously announced in the Pre-Budget Report for education.

Also included in the revised Departmental Expenditure Limit are transfers to and from other Government Departments amounting to a net decrease of £743,000. These include:

  1. (i) £5,100,000 from the Home Office for the costs of asylum seekers;
  2. (ii) £1,576,000 from DTI for the Phoenix fund;
  3. (iii) £5,014,000 to INEE for Open University payments;
  4. (iv) £1,870,000 to MAFF for the cattle traceability scheme;
  5. (v) £1,250,000 to the Department. of Health for Reserved Health bodies;
  6. (vi) £252,000 from the Northern Ireland Executive for Out of Area treatments;
  7. (vii) £289,000 from the Cabinet Office for telecommunications costs;
  8. (viii) £160,000 to DSS for intercalating students;
  9. (ix) £57,000 from National Assembly for Wales for Out of Area treatments;
  10. (x) £78,000 to the Home Office for the Animal Rights index;
  11. (xi) £342,000 to MAFF for the BSE inquiry;
  12. (xii) £46,000 to MAFF for the Marine Coastguard agency;
  13. (xiii) £750,000 from DETR for track access grants; and
  14. (xiv) £7,000 to Home Office for GRECO (European Commission for the Prevention of Corruption).

The increase in DEL will be offset by transfers from other Departmental Expenditure Limits or from the DEL reserve and will not therefore add to the planned total of public expenditure.