HM Treasury News Release
140/97                                   18 November 1997
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             WINTER SUPPLEMENTARY ESTIMATES: 1997-98

Winter Supplementary Estimates totalling 635 million Pounds were
presented to the House of Commons today. They seek increased
provision for existing services and Parliamentary authority,
with necessary provision, for certain new services.

The Supplementary Estimates do not involve any change in total
spending plans because the increases sought have either been
offset by savings elsewhere in departmental programmes or
charged to the Reserve. Most of these changes result from the
routine take-up of underspends carried forward under the end-
year flexibility schemes for capital, running costs and health
spending as announced to the House of Commons by the Chief
Secretary on 17 July.  Since the Reserve is part of the control
total, the planned total of public expenditure is unchanged.

The net increase in departmental programmes in the Winter
Supplementaries includes increases of 425 million Pounds in cash
limits and 89 million Pounds in running costs limits.

The Supplementary Estimates booklet also includes provisional
outturn for Supply expenditure for the first 6 months of the
1997-98 financial year