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Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food

Answer

Mr. Couchman: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what changes are proposed to the cash limits for class III, vote 2 Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food for 1996-97. [14204] Mr. Douglas Hogg: Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary supplementary estimate, the cash limit for class III, vote 2--Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food--will be reduced by £3,789,000 from £916,375,000 to £912,586,000. Provision of £2,160,000 is being transferred from the Ministry of Defence for the storm tide warning service. Reductions are being made in the cash limit to take account of a transfer to the Office of Science and Technology for staff transfers and redundancies at Horticultural Research International of £1,800,000, a transfer to MAFF's non-voted cash limit for supplementary credit approvals of £1,150,000 and the reimbursement of funds to the Exchequer in respect of aid to the tanning industry of £3,000,000. Provision has been included for additional payments and matching receipts of £20,000,000 in respect of EU beef support measures. Provision for payments to the rendering industry of £118,000,000 has been reclassified within the vote. The MAFF/LACAP cash limit for supplementary credit approvals will be increased by £2,011,000 from £14,422,000 to £16,433,000. The increase comprises two elements; £861,000 relates to the Ministry's entitlement to end-year flexibility, which takes account of slippage in the construction of a number of coast protection schemes, such as those at Hythe and Eastbourne. The balance is to be matched by the reduction of £1,150,000 in MAFF's voted cash limit class III, vote 2. The increase will be charged to the reserve and will not, therefore, add to the planned total of public expenditure.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

14204; 289 c407-8W

Session

1996-97

Subjects

Cash limits Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food

Contains statistics

Yes