HC Deb 24 February 2004 vol 418 cc12-4WS
The Secretary of State for Transport (Mr. Alistair Darling)

Subject to Parliamentary approval of any necessary supplementary estimate, the Department for Transport DEL for 2003–04 will be increased by £185,735,000 from £10,642,808,000 to £10,828,543,000 and the administration costs limits will be increased by £12,166,000 from £379,261,000 to £391,427,000. Within the DEL change, the impact on resources and capital are as set out in the following table:

£'000
Change Voted New DEL Non-voted Total
Resource 494,266 4,853,504 3,295,458 8,148,962
Capital 29,698 1,846,521 1,469,442 3,315,963
Depreciation* -338,229 -636,382 - -636,382
Total 185,735 6,063,643 4,764,900 10,828,543
*Depreciation, which forms part of resource DEL, is excluded from the total DEL since capital DEL includes capital spending and to include depreciation of those assets would lead to double counting.

The £272,789,000 increase in the voted resource element of the DEL arises from:

  1. (i)take up of £291,284,000 (non cash) reserve claim for the Highways Agency to cover accounting changes in the valuation of road schemes when completed, depreciation of non-pavement assets and the creation of new provisions offset by changes in existing provisions;
  2. (ii) take up of £18,376,000 end year flexibility, comprising:
    3. 13WS
    1. (a) £12,726,000 (administration costs) for expenditure by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency;
    2. (b) £2,487,000 (administration costs) for expenditure by the Highways Agency;
    3. (c) £2,400,000 for the Driving Standards Agency to fund Automated Driver Licence issue; and
    4. (d) £763,000 (administration costs) for the Department for Transport;
  3. (iii) a net transfer of £9,606,000 from other Government Departments, comprising:
    1. (a) £4,792,000 from the Scottish Executive being an adjustment, to transfers previously made by the Department to the Executive, to reflect ScotRail performance receipts and reductions in ScotRail access charges (£4,504,000) and a transfer in respect of consultant costs on speed cameras (£288,000);
    2. (b) £146,000 from the Department for Trade and Industry in respect of the Low Carbon Partnership (£195,000) partially offset by a transfer to that department for the FP6 Sustainable Surface Transport programme (£49,000);
    3. (c) £705,000 (administration costs) from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister in respect of managing the Transport and Works Act (£410,000) and counselling and support services (£295,000); and
    4. (d) a machinery of Government transfer of £3,963,000 from the office of the Deputy Prime Minister in respect of the European Regional Development Fund;
  4. (iv) a net transfer to non-voted resource provision of £46,477,000 comprising:
    1. (a) a transfer of £50,000,000 to cover Highways Agency cash payments against provisions;
    2. (b) a transfer of £500,000 (administration costs) to cover Maritime and Coastguard Agency cash payments against provisions and release of provisions;
    3. (c) partially offset by a transfer of £4,023,000 (administration costs) departmental unallocated provision to voted provision for Department for Transport;
  5. (v) receipts of £4,289,000 (administration costs) used for Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency publicity costs (programme);
  6. (vi) a transfer of £226,000 (administration costs) from the Department for Transport to the Vehicle Certification Agency in respect of Electronic Delivery Systems.

Within the non-voted resource element of the DEL, there has been an increase of £221,477,000 comprising:

  1. (i) a take up of £175,000,000 (non cash) reserve claim for the Highways Agency for release of provisions adjustment; and
  2. (ii) a net transfer from voted resource provision of £46,477,000.

As a result of the above changes to the resource element of the DEL there has been a net increase of £12,166,000 in the gross administration costs limit, from £379,261,000 to £391,427,000 and an increase of £226,000 in the Vehicle Certification Agency net administration limit from £41,000 to £185,000.

The increase of £29,698,000 in the voted capital element of the DEL arises from:

  1. (i) take up of £20,926,000 (non cash) reserve claim for the Highways Agency in respect of provisions for lands and major schemes claims;
  2. (ii) a net transfer of £4,244,000 from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister for various dual and shared Strategic IT and e-business projects; and
  3. (iii) £4,528,000 machinery of government transfer from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister in respect of the European Regional Development Fund.