To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his Department’s (a) efficiency reviews, (b) public service agreements and (c) spending reviews are applied to the block grant allocated to the Scottish Executive. (78199)

The Scottish Executive is responsible for setting its own targets for efficiency and public service delivery in devolved areas. Changes to the Scottish Executive departmental expenditure limit are determined in accordance with the Treasury publication ‘Funding the Scottish Parliament, National Assembly for Wales and Northern Ireland Assembly—a Statement of Funding Policy’. The latest edition was published in July 2004.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what (a) procedures and (b) conventions are applied to the treatment of funds drawn down to the Scottish Consolidated Fund and subsequently (i) underspent and (i) overspent by the Scottish Executive. (78218)

Section 10 of the Treasury publication “Funding the Scottish Parliament, National Assembly for Wales and Northern Ireland Assembly—a Statement of Funding Policy” details the arrangements that are in place for the handling of end year flexibility, breaches of departmental expenditure limits and the management of cash balances.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent discussions (a) officials and (b) Ministers in his Department have had with the Scottish Executive on the treatment of underspends in the Scottish Consolidated Fund and its future distribution. (78219)

Treasury Ministers and officials meet with the Scottish Executive from time to time to discuss matters of common interest.