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LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT
Departmental Expenditure Limit
Mr. Ivan Henderson: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what proposals there are to amend the departmental expenditure limit and running costs limit for 1999-2000. [97923]
Mr. Lock: Subject to Parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimate for Class V, Vote 1 the Lord Chancellor's Department Departmental Expenditure Limit for 1999-2000 will be increased by £100,000 from £2,421,144,000 to £2,421,244,000. The increase is the effect of a transfer for £100,000 from the Home Office, relating to legal aid costs in respect of reducing volatile substance abuse--gas lighter refills.
The running costs limit for the Lord Chancellor's Department will be increased by £5,386,000 from £496,817,000 to £502,203,000. The increase is in respect of funding for PFI projects in the civil courts and tribunals. This overall increase includes a reduction of £667,000 to gross running costs, with a matching reduction to running costs receipts in respect of a penalty for the running cost breach which occurred in 1998-99.
The increases will be offset by a transfer from the Home Office Departmental Expenditure Limit, as well as receipts arising from asset disposals and will not therefore add to the planned total of public expenditure.
5 Nov 1999 : Column: 356
Mr. Field:
To ask the President of the Council from what date hon. Members have been expected to pay for Audit Commission reports. [97142]
Mrs. Beckett:
Hon. Members can obtain copies of Audit Commission reports, free of charge, from the Vote Office, through the usual procedures.
Mrs. Ewing:
To ask the President of the Council what proposals she has for the Scottish Grand Committee to meet in Scotland. [97586]
Mrs. Beckett:
No decisions have been taken about possible sittings of the Grand Committees next session.
The Grand Committee is a useful mechanism for Scottish MPs to highlight UK-wide policies which have an impact in Scotland. As the hon. Member may be aware, in the Government's response to the Procedure Committee's Fourth report on Procedural Consequences of Devolution, it recognised that the role and procedure of the Grand Committees would have to be adapted in the light of experience with devolution. Decisions on future meetings will be taken in the light of this.
Mr. Reed:
To ask the President of the Council if there are any proposals to amend the Privy Council Office Departmental Expenditure Limit/running costs limit for 1999-2000. [97831]
Mrs. Beckett:
Subject to approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimate, the Departmental Expenditure Limit (DEL) for Class XVII, Vote 5 will be decreased by £296,000 from £2,166,000 and the running cost limit will be decreased by £296,000 from £2,502,000 to £2,206,000.
The reduction in DEL and running cost limit is the net effect of increases to cover the salary and associated costs of the Parliamentary Secretary, Privy Council Office; and to meet the costs arising from my roles as cross Government spokesperson and as Leader of the House, offset by a payment to the Cabinet Office, Class XVII, Vote 1 of £480,000, reflecting the transfer of responsibility for the Lord Privy Seal's Office.
Departmental Expenditure Limit
Mr. Levitt: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if there are any proposals to amend the Departmental Expenditure Limit and gross running costs limit for 1999-2000. [97783]
Mr. Wills:
Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimates for Class I, Vote 1 (Department for Education and Employment: programmes and central services) and Vote 3 (the Employment Service), the Departmental Expenditure Limit (DEL) for 1999-2000 (excluding Welfare to Work) will be increased by £120,664,000 from £15,671,526,000 to £15,792,190,000.
5 Nov 1999 : Column: 357
This overall increase is made up of DEL increases on Votes 1 and 3 of £122,047,000 and £28,617,000 respectively and a decrease of £30,000,000 in non-voted expenditure. As a result, the Voted element of the Departmental Expenditure Limit (excluding Welfare to Work) will be increased by £150,664,000 from £14,396,974,000 to £14,547,638,000 and the non-Voted element will be reduced by £30,000,000 from £1,274,552,000 to £1,244,552,000.
The changes in Vote 1 are the result of the take up of £73,800,000 of the end-year flexibility entitlement announced by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on 27 July 1999, Official Report, column 393; transfers of £1,425,000 from Class II, Vote 2 (Department of Health) as their contribution to the Healthy Schools programme, of £4,800,000 from Class II, Vote 1 (Department of Health) for the Tomlinson merger of Kings College and the United Medical and Dental School, of £957,000 from the Students Awards Agency for Scotland for changes in the funding of Oxbridge colleges, of £2,122,000 from Class XVII, Vote 1 (Property Advisers to the Civil Estate) relating to Qualifications and Curriculum Authority premises, and of £8,943,000 from Class I, Vote 3 (the Employment Service) for Key Stage 2 revision classes, National trainees and Employment Zones; and the draw down of £30,000,000 from the Department's non-Voted Departmental Unallocated Provision (DUP) for Adult Basic Skills and Excellence in Cities.
The Employment Service provision has been increased by the take up of £18,022,000 under the capital, £11,300,000 under the running costs and £1,000,000 under the other current end-year flexibility schemes as announced by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on 27 July 1999, Official Report, column 393; the transfer of £6,631,000 from Class XII, Vote 3 (Department of Social Security: administration) in respect of work undertaken on behalf of the Benefit Agency and the transfer of £607,000 from Class XVII, Vote 1 (Cabinet Office: administration) to cover the transfer of the lease for 102, New Street, Birmingham; offset by the transfer of £8,943,000 to Vote 1.
The Departmental running costs limit (excluding Welfare to Work) will be increased by £18,538,000 from £1,042,210,000 to £1,060,748,000 as a result of the take up of £11,300,000 of end-year flexibility and the transfers of £6,631,000 from the Department of Social Security and £607,000 from the Cabinet Office. The Supplementary estimates also include a transfer of £128,000 of running costs from Vote 3 to Vote 1 which does not affect the running costs limit.
The Department's Welfare to Work provision is being increased by £38,557,000 from £1,349,816,000 to £1,388,373,000. The increase is made up of changes on Votes 1 and 3 of £39,987,000 and -£1,430,000 respectively. The change on Vote 1 is as the result of the take up of £38,654,000 of end-year flexibility, and transfers of £1,351,000 from Vote 3 and of £18,000 to Class XII, Vote 3 (Department of Social Security: administration) to cover the salary costs of staff supporting the New Deal project. The change on Vote 3 is made up of the transfer of £1,351,000 to Vote 1 and transfers of £134,000 to Class XIV, Vote 1 (Welsh Office) to cover costs of monitoring New Deal training in Wales
5 Nov 1999 : Column: 358
and of £55,000 from Class XII, Vote 3 (Department of Social Security: administration) for work on the New Deal for the Disabled Innovative Scheme.
The Departmental Welfare to Work running costs limit will be decreased by £378,000 from £162,699,000 to £162,321,000 as a result of the transfer from Vote 1 of £18,000 to the Department of Social Security and the transfers from Vote 3 of £281,000 to Vote 1 for Inspection of New Deal Providers, of £134,000 to the Welsh Office and of £55,000 from the Department of Social Security. The Supplementary estimates also include a transfer of £1,070,000 of Welfare to Work running costs from Vote 3 to Vote 1 which does not affect the running costs limit.
The increases are the result of transfers or will be charged to the Reserve and will not therefore add to the planned total of public expenditure.
Mr. Drew:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will undertake a review of funding for people with learning difficulties. [97258]
Jacqui Smith:
The Government are committed to providing high quality learning opportunities for people with learning difficulties. We will be publishing a consultation document on the Learning and Skills Council's funding system at the end of the year. It will seek views on the arrangements for funding across the range of the Learning and Skills Council's responsibilities, including the funding arrangements for people with learning difficulties.
Mr. Willis:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what plans he has to make the University for Industry learning hubs co-terminus with regional development agency or sub-regional local learning and skills/small business service boundaries; and if he will make a statement. [97056]
Mr. Wills
[holding answer 2 November 1999]: It is Ufl Ltd.'s intention that as far as possible the boundaries of the Ufl hubs will be co-terminus with either sub-regional Learning and Skills Council and Small Business Service boundaries or with local Learning Partnership boundaries. It may not be possible to map this in every case but Ufl Regional Staff are working closely with Ufl hubs to ensure that a high level of coherence is achieved.
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