HC Deb 25 July 1991 vol 195 cc779-80W
Mr. Straw

To ask the Prime Minister what was the total cost of the design, preparation, printing and distribution of the White Paper on the citizens charter, Cm. 1599.

The Prime Minister

The cost of the design and preparation of Cm. 1599 is likely to be in the region of £33,000.

The costs for printing, publishing and distributing the White Paper were met by Her Majesty's Stationery Office, which aims to recover its costs from sales revenue.

Mr. Grocott

To ask the Prime Minister what was the total cost of printing and publishing the citizens charter, Cm. 1599.

The Prime Minister

The costs of printing and publishing the citizens charter White Paper Cm. 1599 were met by HMSO who aim to recover their costs from sales revenue. The estimated cost of producing the short version of Cm. 1599 was £60,000.

Mr. Grocott

To ask the Prime Minister what is the total cost to public funds of the pledges made in the citizens charter.

The Prime Minister

The Government have put, and will continue to put, extra resources into priority public services whenever extra money can be afforded. Under the charter programme it will also find better ways of converting the money that can be afforded into even better services. I therefore expect the cost to be met within the existing public expenditure programme.

Mr. Dobson

To ask the Prime Minister if he will list the opinion surveys carried out in the course of preparation of the citizens charter; and if he will place the results of each survey in the Library, together with the name of the organisation which carried out each survey.

The Prime Minister

No opinion surveys were carried out in the course of preparing the White Paper. The White Paper itself is a means of sounding public opinion and it is proposed that the views of the public should be sought regularly about the services they use.

Mr. Straw

To ask the Prime Minister what was the total cost of the launch at the Queen Elizabeth II centre of the White Paper, the citizens charter, Cm. 1599.

The Prime Minister

The estimated cost of the launch is £73,000. This covers the cost of hiring the Queen Elizabeth II conference centre and ancillary facilities.