General Election (Costs)

HC Deb 02 December 1996 vol 286 c471W

Mr. Hain

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the cost to public funds of delivering general election material in 1992(a) in total, (b) for poll cards and (c) candidates' mailings.[5952]

Mr. Sackville

[holding answer 27 November 1996]The cost to public funds of delivering general election material in 1992 was:

1. (a)a total of £17,940,315¹;
2. (b)for poll cards £2,632,479; and
3. (c)for candidates' mailings £12,692,751.

¹This includes £2,370,794 which was paid to the Royal Mail regional office at Bolton in respect of postal services delivered to constituencies in north Wales and north-west England, for which no breakdown between costs for delivery of poll cards and candidates' mailings is available, and certain miscellaneous staff and further postage costs.