§ Mr. DrewTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proposals she has to amend the Forestry Commission Departmental Expenditure Limits for(a) 2001–02, (b) 2002–03 and (c) 2003–04. [5029]
§ Mr. MorleyThe National Assembly for Wales has now taken over responsibility for funding the Forestry Commission's activities in Wales, in accordance with the devolution arrangements, and so £5,256,000 will be174W transferred to the National Assembly from the Forestry Commission's Departmental Expenditure Limit in 2001–02 and in each of the following two years.
In addition, in order to allow the Forestry Commission to smooth out the effects on net expenditure of the current difficulties in achieving planned levels of income, the Departmental Expenditure Limit for 2001–02 will be increased by bringing £1,000,000 forward from the Departmental Expenditure Limits for both 2002–03 and 2003–04 (giving a total increase in 2001–02 of £2,000,000).
Subject to Parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimate, the Departmental Expenditure Limit will also be increased in 2001–02 by £1,000. This token Supplementary Estimate is required to bring the ambit of the Summary Request for Supply presented to Parliament into line with the Departmental Supply Estimate.
The net effect of these changes is that the Forestry Commission's total budget over the last three years is increased by £1,000. However, following the transfer of responsibility for funding the Commission's activities in Wales, the Commission's Departmental Expenditure Limit for expenditure funded directly by Parliament will be reduced in 2001–02 by £3,255,000, from £70,592,000 to £67,337,000, and in each of the following two years by £6,256,000 from £75,052,000 to £68,796,000.