§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on progress with the target on total overhead costs. [23162]
§ Miss Melanie JohnsonThe National Weights and Measures Laboratory first included this Ministerial target in 2000/01. In the Annual Report and Accounts for 2000/01 the National Weights and Measures Laboratory reported that overhead costs were 53.9 per cent. of total costs, meeting the target that overhead costs are less than 55 per cent. of total costs. Overhead charges are defined as the costs not allocated to a specific service area.