asked the Minister for Finance the up-to-date estimate for expenditure for Central Fund Services in 1986 in the light of changes in exchange rates and interest rates since the beginning of the year.

It is the practice to give up-to-date information on the Central Fund Services estimate only as part of the Exchequer returns issued at the end of each quarter. In my statement on the end-March position, I indicated that the expenditure of £536 million on Central Fund Services in the first quarter was in line with the budget provision of £2,290 million for the year as a whole. When the June quarter Exchequer returns are published I will be commenting further on the pattern of expenditure in the light of changes in interest and exchange rates.