HC Deb 27 November 2003 vol 415 cc37-9WS
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs (Mr. Christopher Leslie)

Subject to Parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimates, the Departmental Expenditure Limit (DEL) covering the Department for Constitutional Affairs, Northern Ireland Court Service and The National Archive will be increased by £5,280,000 from £3,124,514,000 to £3,129,794,000 and the administration costs limit will be increased by £27,600.000 from £805,243,000 to £832,843,000. Within the DEL change, the impact on resources and capital are as set out in the following table:

All figures are £000s.

Change Voted Non-voted New DEL
Resource -23,167 1.119,370 1,955,276 3,074,646
Capital 27,051, 117,893 11,016 128,909

The change in the Department for Constitutional Affairs resource DEL is the net effect of:

RFR1

Take-up of end-year flexibility of £2,293,000 administration costs; a transfer of £65,504,000 resources, of which £19,534,000 is administration costs from the Home Office in relation to the Criminal Justice System reserve; a virement of £103,722,000 resources, of which £1,069,000 is administration costs to reflect payments to the Department for Education and Skills in relation to Machinery of Government; a transfer of £502,000 administration costs from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister; a transfer of £573,000 administration costs from HM Treasury in relation to the Invest to Save Budget; net transfers of £451,000 resources from the Home Office; a transfer of £24,000 administration costs to the Crown Prosecution Service.

RFR2

Provision of £18,528,278,000 (resource) and £100,000 (capital) transferred from the Scotland Office to the Department for Constitutional Affairs (RfR2), resulting in a transfer of £18,527,903,000 in respect of the net cash requirement. This is for administration costs of the Scotland Office and the Office of the Advocate General, provision for the Boundary Commission for Scotland and a grant to the Scottish Consolidated Fund, as part of the machinery of government changes announced by the Prime Minister on 12 June.

There has also been a transfer of £425,000 administration costs to the Scottish Executive.

RFR3

Provision of £9,306,641,000 (resource) and £766,000 (capital) transferred from the Wales Office to the Department for Constitutional Affairs (RfR3), resulting in a transfer of £9.307,313,000 in respect of the net cash requirement. This is to enable the Secretary of State for Wales to assign the administration costs of the Wales Office and grant to the National Assembly for Wales, as part of the machinery of government changes announced by the Prime Minister on 12 June.

As a result of all changes there is an increase in Total Net Cash Requirement of £1,084,485,000.

The change in the Northern Ireland Court Service resource DEL is the net effect of:

A transfer of £5,000,000 administration costs into resource.

The change in The National Archive resource DEL arises from: the take up of £1,000,000 administration costs from end year flexibility.

The change in the Department for Constitutional Affairs capital DEL is the net effect of:

RFR1

Take-up of end-year flexibility of £14,510,000 capital costs; a transfer of £9,695,000 capital costs from the Home Office in relation to the CJS Reserve; and a transfer of £111,000 capital from HM Treasury in relation to the Invest to Save Budget.

The change in The National Archive capital DEL is the net effect of: take up of end year flexibility of £1,869,000 resources.

The increases will be offset by inter-departmental transfers, increases to Appropriations in Aid, take up of End Year Flexibility entitlements and a charge to the DEL Reserve and will not therefore add to the planned total of public expenditure.