Overview

The Supply and Appropriation (Main Estimates) Bill 2017 authorises government spending and the use of resources for the financial year ending 31 March 2018. It sets out the allocated funds for various government departments and agencies, covering both current and capital expenditure, and outlines how income will be used.

Description

This bill is primarily concerned with authorising the UK government's spending for the fiscal year 2017-18. It details the total amount of resources authorised for use (£321,822,620,000), broken down into current (£288,994,619,000) and capital (£32,828,001,000) purposes. The bill also authorises the Treasury to issue money from the Consolidated Fund (£264,243,414,000) to cover this expenditure.

Appropriation

The bill appropriates a total of £576,536,282,000 in resources and £492,644,942,000 in money for the year. This appropriation is allocated to specific government departments and agencies based on detailed estimates included in a schedule (see below for examples). These estimates break down spending by purpose, including Departmental Expenditure Limits (DEL), Annually Managed Expenditure (AME), and Non-Budget Expenditure (NBE).

Income

The bill also addresses the use of income generated by government departments and agencies during the financial year. It specifies that such income should typically be paid into the Consolidated Fund unless otherwise authorized by the act or other legislation. The Treasury is given the power to issue directions to rectify any contraventions of these rules.

Retroactive Effect

The bill’s provisions are designed to operate retrospectively from the beginning of the financial year (1 April 2017).

Government Spending

The bill authorises a total government expenditure of £321,822,620,000 in resources and £264,243,414,000 from the Consolidated Fund for the 2017-18 financial year. The detailed schedule further breaks down these figures across various departments and purposes.

Groups Affected

The bill affects numerous groups:

• Government Departments and Agencies: The bill directly impacts all government departments and agencies, dictating their spending limits and authorising the release of funds.
• Taxpayers: The bill ultimately determines how taxpayer money is spent.
• Recipients of Government Services: The level and nature of public services are directly linked to the funding authorised by this bill.
• Businesses: Government contracts, grants, and regulations (especially within sectors such as energy and transport) are impacted by the bill’s provisions.

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