asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is proposing any further change to the Central Office of Information cash limit for 1986–87.

Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary supplementary estimate, the cash limit for class XIX vote 1 will be increased by a further £54,023,000 from £97,977,000 to £152,000,000. The increase will be offset by reimbursements by the clients of the Central Office of Information and will therefore not add to the planning total of public expenditure. The running costs of the department have decreased by £1,439,000 due to improved efficiency and a change in the pattern of business involving some shifts from high resources to low resource areas of the COI.