To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what total capital charges on public assets in Northern Ireland were in 2005-06; and whether income received was (a) retained within the Northern Ireland Office and (b) returned to the Consolidated Fund. (96075)

The Government as a whole incur an interest cost for borrowing to finance investments by Departments. To ensure that the full cost of services is reflected in departmental accounts and budgets, this interest cost is devolved to Departments as a cost of capital charge. This is a non-cash cost and thus there is no associated income or cashflow.

The following table, based on provisional outturn, sets out current expenditure and cost of capital charges within each relevant departmental expenditure limit for 2005-06: