§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Secretary of State for Transport whether he will give the original total estimated costs of the move to Swansea of the road licensing department and of the establishment of the computer; how many revised estimates have been made subsequently; and what have been the actual costs to date.
§ Mr. HoramThe original estimate, in 1965, was £95 million. This covered the cost of setting up the new system; of operating the old one while it was being set up; of operating the old and new systems in parallel during the conversion period; and of operating the new system for the balance of 10 years. The estimate was revised in 1968—when detailed planning of the centralised system began—and again in 1970. Since then it has been updated annually. Actual expenditure over the 10 financial years 1968 to 1977, inclusive, was £302 million. At 1965 prices it would have been approximately £150 million.