HL Deb 26 February 2002 vol 631 cc208-10WA
Lord Hoyle

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether there are any plans to change the Lord Chancellor's Department's departmental expenditure limit and administration costs limits for 2001–02. [HL2904]

The Lord Chancellor (Lord Irvine of Lairg)

Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimates, the Lord Chancellor's Department's (including the Northern Ireland Court Service and the Public Records Office) DEL will be increased by £89,792,000, from £2,871,573,000 to £2,961,365,000, and the administration costs limit will be increased by £31,308,000, from £684,425,000 to £715,733,000. Within the DEL change, the impact on resources and capital are as set out in the following table:

costs, and other projects, £207,000 of which £83,000 administration costs; a total transfer from the Department of Health in respect of various projects in the sum of £164,000, of which £123,000 is administration costs; transfer to the Department of Trade and Industry of £50,000; transfers from the Department of Transport, Local Authorities and the Regions of £512,000 administration costs; transfer to the Public Records Office of £300,000 administration costs; a reduction of £436,000 administration costs arising from an adjustment of incorrect recording of NAO fees; take up of £27,000,000 from the reserve, of which £5,000,000 is administration costs to the Public Guardianship Office; a transfer of £10,000,000 to LCDHQ administration costs in accordance with the Chief Secretary of the Treasury's letter to me of 14 February 2002; and a transfer of £5,100.000 administration costs from capital.

The decrease in the Northern Ireland Court Service's resource element of DEL is the net effect of a transfer of £7,000,000 of R1R1 administration costs to the LCD; a transfer from the Northern Ireland Office of £2,200,000 into RfR 1 administration and end year flexibility draw-down of £1,442,000.

The change in the Public Records Office resource element of DEL arises from the take up of £4,200.000 end year flexibility, £250,000 in respect of the Modernising Government initiative and a transfer of £300,000 administration costs from LCD.

The change in the capital element of the DEL is the net effect of a transfer from the Home Office of £307,000 in respect of the Capital Modernisation Fund; draw-down of £65,000 from the Invest to Save Budget; a transfer of £5,000,000 to the Northern Ireland Court Service; and a transfer of £5,100,000 to LCDHQ administration costs.

The change in the Northern Ireland Court Service's capital element of DEL arises from take up of end year

£000
Resources Capital
Change New DEL Of which: voted Non-voted Change New DEL Of which: voted Non-voted
32,600 1,268,738 1,100,856 167,882 −16 126,550 103,050 23,500

The change in the resource element of DEL arises from:

  1. (i) an increase of £965,000 in respect of take up of EYF;
  2. (ii) an increase of £9,462,000 in respect of an adjustment for overseas price movements;
  3. (iii) a net increase of £10,000,000 as a result of a reserve claim for September 11 related activity;
  4. (iv) a PES transfer to the Ministry of Defence of £1,154,000 in respect of British Defence Staff in Washington;
  5. (v) an increase of £18,944,000 to reflect transfers from capital to improve budgetary flexibility;
  6. (vi) an increase of £2,330,000 relating to a successful bid against the reserve for funds to tackle organised crime;
  7. (vii) a PES transfer to the Department for International Development of £8,061,000 in respect of funding arrangements on the conflict prevention pool;
  8. (viii) a decrease in the FCO's Resource DEL of £5,743,000 to reflect a corresponding overspend on the FCO's resource DEL last financial year;

flexibility entitlement of £1,561,000 and a transfer of £5,000,000 from LCD.

The change in the Public Records Office capital element of DEL arises from the take up of £350.000 end year flexibility entitlement.

The increases will be offset by interdepartmental transfers, increases to appropriations in aid, take up of end year flexibility entitlements and a charge to the DEL reserve and will therefore not add to the planned total of public expenditure.