Northern Ireland Block Grant

HL Deb 11 March 2003 vol 645 cc168-9WA

Lord Laird

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What was the underspend in the Northern Ireland block grant in the years 1999–2000, 2000–01 and 2001–02; and which departments were responsible for what percentage of the underspend. [HL1757]

The Lord Privy Seal (Lord Williams of Mostyn)

For the 1999–2000 financial year, expenditure was recorded by departments on a cash basis. From 2000–01 onwards, expenditure has been recorded on a resource basis and therefore comparisons cannot be made on a like-for-like basis between 1999–2000 and any subsequent years. Allocations to departments are set within departmental expenditure limits (DEL) and underspends are measured against the DEL. The table below shows DEL underspends for NI departments for the period 1999–2000 to 2001–02.

Table showing DEL underspends for NI Departments for 1999–2000 to 2001–02 (£ million)
		Cash Basis		Resource Basis
	1999–00		2000–01		2001–02
Department	Underspend	%Underspend	Underspend	%Underspend	Underspend	%Underspend
Agriculture and Rural Development	5.6	8.1	3.4	1.6	13.5	5.8
Culture, Arts and Libraries	3.6	5.3	1.4	0.7	10.1	4.3
Eduction	5.0	7.2	17.3	8.2	46.9	20.0
Employment and Learning	3.0	4.3	51.8	24.6	39.0	16.6
Enterprise, Trade and Industry	12.2	17.6	28.8	13.7	23.2	9.9
Finance and Personnel	5.4	7.8	8.3	3.9	13.7	5.8
Health, Social Services and Public Safety	13.8	19.9	46.8	22.3	49.1	20.9
Environment	1.9	2.8	2.7	1.3	5.4	2.3
Regional Development	7.1	10.3	5.2	2.5	22.5	9.6
Social Development	11.3	16.3	43.2	20.5	9.2	3.9
Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister	0.3	0.4	1.4	0.7	2.0	0.9
Total	69.2	100	210.3	100	234.6	100