§ Mr. Peter DuncanTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the expected time scale is for implementing the "Your Guide" scheme throughout the post office and sub-post office network; what the cost will be of implementing the scheme throughout the network; and what the average cost to each sub-post office business of introducing terminals to the "Your Guide" system will be. [28430]
§ Ms Hewitt[holding answer 21 January 2002]: My Department has provided £25 million funding for the pilot of "Your Guide" currently operating in Leicestershire and Rutland. The pilot was fully up and running by the end of August last year and is not due to finish until 1 March this year. The results of the pilot will be fully evaluated and decisions on national roll-out will be based on the findings of the evaluation and on further work on funding and service design. Among other things the evaluation and associated work will establish the costs of implementing a "Your Guide" scheme nationally and will compare these with the benefits. Until work on the design of a national service is further advanced it will not be possible to estimate the cost of providing the necessary equipment to individual sub-post offices.
A full evaluation of the pilot should be completed by the end of June. Work on funding and the design of a national service will be progressed alongside evaluation of the pilot so that firm decisions on a national scheme can be taken next autumn.