To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to his intervention of 7 November 2006, Official Report, column 721, if he will give further details of the (a) accounting changes and (b) pressures of previous years which have contributed £65 million and between £70 million to £80 million respectively to his Department’s funding deficit of £200 million. (102143)

The accounting changes arose from clarification and application of Treasury consolidated budgeting guidance rules. This guidance set out constraints over movements between sub-control totals within departmental resource budgets.

The pressures from previous years have been previously summarised. I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 6 November 2006, Official Report, column 730W.