House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 5 Nov 1997 (pt 11)

Tuition Fees

Mr. Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will set out the differences in the level of proposed payments of higher education tuition fees between residents of the United Kingdom according to (a) the location of the institution at which they are studying and (b) their own place of normal residence; and what are the reasons for these differences. [14058]

Dr. Howells: Full-time undergraduate students will be required to contribute up to a maximum of £1,000 a year in tuition fees, depending on their parents', spouses' or own income. The requirement will apply to students resident in all parts of the United Kingdom and studying in publicly funded institutions throughout the UK, except for medical and dental students in the fifth and subsequent years of study.

Students resident in Scotland and studying in Scottish institutions on honours degree courses that are a year longer than equivalent courses elsewhere in the UK will, however, have their fees paid in the final year of the course by the Scottish Student Awards Agency. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland has decided to give special consideration to such students in the light of recommendations from the Dearing and Garrick reports and in recognition that many Scottish students have had only one year's education after statutory schooling before entering university, compared with the two years that students resident elsewhere in the UK have had.

Cash and Running Costs Limits

Mrs. Gilroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what changes are planned in cash limits and running cost limits on votes within his responsibility for 1997-98. [14450]

Dr. Howells: Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary supplementary estimate, the cash limit or class IX, vote 1, Department for Education and Employment: programmes and central services, and class IX, vote 3, Employment Department will be amended as follows:

Class Vote Existing cash limit (£) Change (£) New cash limit (£)

IX 1 9,419,464,000 85,613,000 9,505,077,000

IX 3 1,155,101,000 80,376,000 1,235,477,000

Class	Vote	Existing cash limit (£)	Change (£)	New cash limit (£)
IX	1	9,419,464,000	85,613,000	9,505,077,000
IX	3	1,155,101,000	80,376,000	1,235,477,000

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The cash limit for class IX, vote 1 (Department for Education and Employment) will be increased by £85,613,000 (of which £84,930,000 is in respect of the welfare-to-work programme and is outside the Control Total) from £9,419,464,000 to £9,505,077,000.

This is the result of an increase in £83,500,000 in capital expenditure on schools and £1,330,000 in running costs in connection with the welfare-to-work programme, and £100,000 in current expenditure on millennium volunteers, all to be financed from the windfall tax as announced in the Budget on 2 July and outside the Control Total.

The Department has also taken up part of end year flexibility amounts announced by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on 17 July, Official Report columns 245-50 of £1,602,000 under the capital scheme and £172,020,000 under the structural funds scheme. An increase of £1,019,000 in expenditure on specialist schools in Section T has been offset by a corresponding decrease in the DfEE/LACAP cash limit from £73,126,000 to £72,107,000; and £40,000 has been switched from Section O (a cash limited section) to Section P (a non-cash limited section) to support additional expenditure on school council pensions.

A transfer of £300,000 has been made to class XI, vote 1 (Department of Health) for the Drugs Challenge Fund and £162,000 to class XIV, vote 2 (Welsh Office) in respect of National Vocational Qualifications. In addition, a transfer of £3,015,000 in running costs and £1,579,000 in appropriations in aid has been made to class IX, vote 3 (Employment Service) in respect of the lease for the 236 Grays Inn Road building in London. The opportunity has also been taken to transfer £600,000 from running costs to current expenditure in Section O to reclassify some expenditure on publicity.

The cash limit for class IX, vote 3 (Employment Service) will be increased by £80,376,000 from £1,155,101,000 to £1,235,477,000. The increase results from the following: £78,000,000 in respect of the welfare-to-work programme of which £48,000,000 is running costs, £25,000,000 is capital provision, and £5,000,000 is current expenditure, all financed from the windfall tax; a transfer of £3,015,000 in running costs and £1,579,000 in appropriations in aid from class IX, vote 1 (DfEE) in respect of the lease for the 236 Grays Inn Road building in London; and a transfer of £640,000 in running costs and £300,000 in capital expenditure from class XVII, vote 1 (Cabinet Office) for the lease of Ebury House, Aberdeen.

I also wish to take this opportunity to announce that the Office for National Statistics has advised that with immediate effect, Remploy Limited, should be classified as a public corporation in order to comply with the requirements of the 1995 european System of Accounts. This is a technical change only and will not affect Remploy's status as a non-Departmental Public Body, not its relationship with the Department.

As a result of these changes, the running costs provision within the Control Total for class IX, vote 1 (DfEE) will be decreased by £3,577,000 from £255,564,000 to £251,987,000 whereas the running costs provision within the Control Total for class IX, vote 3 (Employment Service) will be increased by £3,655,000 from

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£801,576,000 to £805,231,000. The overall running costs limit for the DfEE is therefore increased by £78,000 from £1,057,140, to £1,057,218,000.

As a result of provision relating to the welfare-to-work programme, running costs provision outside the Control Total for class IX, vote 1 (DfEE) is £1,330,00 and for class IX, vote 3 is £48,000,000, giving a non-Control Total running costs limit of £49,330,000.

The control total element of the increases will be offset by transfers or charged to the Reserve and will not therefore add to the planned total of public expenditure.

SCOTLAND

Cash and Running Costs Limits

Mr. Ernie Ross: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what changes he intends to make to the cash limits and running costs provision for 1997-98 within his responsibility. [14840]

Mr. Dewar: Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary supplementary estimates, I intend to make changes to nine voted cash limits, four non-voted cash blocks and seven running cost limits:

The cash limit for class XIII, vote 1, Agriculture, fisheries and environmental services, Scotland, will be increased by £3,117,000 from £309,772,000 to £312,889,000. Within this total, the running costs provision has been increased by £617,000 to £29,826,000. This takes account of £305,000 take up of end year flexibility as announced by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on 17 July (Official Report: columns 245-50) for Agency running costs, and a transfer of £2,812,000 from vote 6 to provide additional grant in aid for the Scottish Environment Protection Agency and additional running costs for the Fisheries Research Services Agency and Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency.

The cash limit for class XIII, vote 2, Local Government, Housing, Transport, Other Environmental Services and European Funds, Scotland will be increased by a net total of £10,301,000 from £5,473,575,000 to £5,483,876,000. The net increase reflects a transfer of £3,000,000 from SO/ERDF to cover expenditure on the empty homes and rough sleepers initiative; an increase of £1,350,000 from SO/ERDF to cover additional costs to local authorities as a result of implementation of the Pennington recommendations; a transfer of £150,000 from class V, vote 2 for the Edinburgh City car club project; an increase of £600,000 for the Council Tax District Equalisation Scheme and £1,586,000 for the Council Tax Collection scheme transferred from SO/ERDF and SO/LA1 respectively; an increase to provision for Historic Scotland of £1,845,248 covering an increase in running cost provision of £1,390,248, and an increase of £455,000 in capital provision reflecting take up of end year flexibility entitlement in respect of capital; an increase in provision of £25,000 for the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland, offset by a matching reduction in class XIII, vote 6; a net increase of £1,245,000 for Roads and Transport (covering a gross increase in Roads capital of £8,620,000, an increase in the Northern Isles Ferry Services of £2,549,000 and an increase in Piers and Harbours Grant of £468,000 and offset by decreased Roads current expenditure of £5,000,000 and increased appropriations-in-aid of £5,392,000) reflecting the take up of end year flexibility; and the take up of end year flexibility for Caledonian MacBrayne (£300,000) and Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd. (£200,000).

The cash limit for class XIII, vote 3, Education, industry, arts and libraries, Scotland, will be increased by £4,303,000 from £1,667,405,000 to £1,671,708,000. The increased cash limit

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takes account of £7,435,000 in respect of end year flexibility arrangements for capital expenditure relating to the National Museums of Scotland, the Scottish Office Pensions Agency and inward investment. The increase also includes £360,000 in respect of end-year flexibility arrangements for running costs expenditure relating to the Student Awards Agency for Scotland and the Scottish Office Pensions Agency. The changes include transfers from class XIII, vote 6 totalling £300,000 in respect of both Agencies. The increase also includes a transfer of £275,000 from class IV, vote 1 in respect of support schemes and a transfer of £2,000,000 from SO/ERDF for Early Intervention. The Supplementary takes account of a transfer of £317,000 to class XIII, vote 6 in respect of software development and a reduction of £5,750,000 as a contribution towards increases in provision elsewhere in class XIII. Certain other transfers have taken place within the vote as a result of changes in Ministerial responsibilities.

The cash limit for class XIII, vote 4, Hospital, community health, family health, other health services and welfare food, Scotland, will be increased by a net total of £78,745,000 from £3,628,304,000 to £3,707,049,000. The increase includes £58,798,000 reflecting the take up of end-year flexibility; a transfer of £37,000 to class XIII, vote 6 for additional expenditure by the Mental Welfare Commission on information technology and some adjustments to reflect changes to anticipated appropriations-in-aid. The NHS Trusts' External Financing Limit has also been decreased by £16,447,000 from £-11,590,000 to £-28,037,000.

The cash limit for class XIII, vote 5 will be increased by £2,446,000 from £660,189,000 to £662,635,000. The increase includes the take up of end-year flexibility of £1,047,000 under the capital scheme and £699,000 under the HPSS scheme. £700,000 will be transferred from SO/ERDF to cover the advance vote 5 received from the Contingencies Fund for the referendum publicity costs. There will also be a number of minor transfers within the vote.

The cash limit for class XIII, vote 6, Scottish Office Administration, is being decreased by £81,000 to £150,074,000. Within this total the running cost provision for Scottish Office Administration is being increased by £2,257,000 to £136,142,000 as a result of the take-up of end-year flexibility, primarily to finance the taking forward of various new policy initiatives and inter-vote transfers. Provision for capital expenditure is being reduced by £2,608,000 to £13,305,000 as a result of various transfers, primarily one of £2,500,000 to class XIII, vote 1 for the Scottish Environment Protection Agency. Provision for other current expenditure is being increased by £270,000 to £8,968,000 as a result of the take-up of end-year flexibility for health expenditure to cover computer system costs at the Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland.

The cash limit for class XIII, vote 7, General Register Office for Scotland, is being increased by £750,000 to £5,817,000. Within this total, the running costs provision for GRO(S) is being increased by £150,000 to £7,550,000 as a result of the take-up of end-year flexibility to finance preparatory work for the 2001 Census. The increase in capital provision results from the take-up of end-year flexibility to cover costs of continuing refurbishment work at New Register House. The reduction in appropriations in aid is in respect of an expected fall in receipts from running the NHS Central Register, caused by a reduction in the cost of GRO(S) of operating the Register being reflected in lower charges.

The cash limit for class XIII, vote 8, Scottish Record Office, is being increased by £750,000 to £5,172,000. Within this total the SRO running costs provision is being increased by £300,000 to £4,745,000 as a result of the take-up of end-year flexibility to fund implementation of an internal reorganisation of the Department, which is aimed at delivering future efficiency savings. The increase in capital provision results from the take-up of end-year flexibility to cover costs of continuing refurbishment work at General Register House.

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The cash limit element for class XIII, vote 9, Administration of justice, Scotland will be increased by a net figure of £1,700,000. This reflects an increase in capital provision of £3,000,000 to £15,700,000 offset by an increase in appropriations-in-aid of £1,300,000 to £17,341,000. Of the net figure, £1,055,000 will be met by the take up of capital end year flexibility and the remainder will be found by a reduction in running cost end-year flexibility entitlement of £645,000. The additional expenditure is required to meet the revised and higher costs of major building projects which are nearing their end-stage.

The External Financing Limit for the East of Scotland Water Authority will be increased by £5,750,000 from £51,690,000 to £57,440,000. The increase will be offset by a matching reduction in the cash limit of class XIII, vote 3.

The non-voted cash limit SO/LA1, which covers non-housing capital expenditure by local authorities, is to be increased by a net total of £22,012,830 from £389,428,000 to $411,440,830. The increase reflects the transfer of £1,586,000 to class XIII, vote 2 reflecting provision for the Council Tax Collection Scheme, and the transfer of £1,448,830 from class XIII, vote 5 in respect of CCTV scheme, and the take up of end year flexibility of £22,150,000.

The non-voted cash limit SO/LA2 which covers housing capital expenditure by local authorities will be increased by a total of £4,298,000 from £179,928,000 to £184,226,000 in respect of the take up of end year flexibility.