Written statement on Advance from the Contingencies Fund - Dec 20

The requirement has arisen because the Cabinet Office receives a relatively high proportion of its voted funding at Supplementary Estimate, and as a consequence may only draw the related cash from the Consolidated Fund after the Supply and Appropriation Act has received Royal Assent in March 2020.

The cash advance will pay for programmes which will generate Government-wide benefits or savings and are urgent in the public interest, including advancing EU Exit objectives, public inquiries, security and the efficient management of Government property.

Parliamentary approval for additional resources of £70,046,000 and capital of £2,088,000 and cash of £35,000,000 will be sought in a Supplementary Estimate for the Cabinet Office. Pending that approval, urgent expenditure estimated at £107,134,000 will be met by repayable cash advances from the Contingencies Fund.