§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent assessment she has made of whether the target for the reduction of running costs as a proportion of the departmental expenditure limit between 1999–2000 and 2001–02 will be met on time. [47255]
§ Dr. Howells[holding answer 10 April 2002]: Latest estimates suggest that departmental running costs in 2001–02 represented 2.291 per cent. of the departmental expenditure limit, compared with 2.526 per cent. in 1999–2000. This means we will have exceeded the target to reduce running costs as a proportion of DEL by 4.5 per cent. These figures exclude transfers to the Department following machinery of Government changes in the wake of the general election on 7 June 2001.