HC Deb 14 June 1994 vol 244 cc524-5W
Mrs. Dunwoody

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he decided to cut the running costs of his Department by 20 per cent.; when the embargo on announcing the decision was lifted; and who took the decision to impose the embargo.

Mr. MacGregor

My Department's running costs have not been cut. I have set it a requirement to make a 20 per cent. improvement in efficiency with the target of achieving it in the two years from 1 April 1994 to 1 April 1996. The requirement was announced on 9 May. By convention, the announcement was not made in the period immediately preceding the local government elections on 5 May.