Dr. John CunninghamTo ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what measures her Department has made to monitor the efficiency and spending on the British Library building project. [10906]
§ Mrs. Virginnia BottomleyFollowing its creation in 1992, the Department of National Heritage assumed responsibility for this project. I attach great importance to its successful delivery. A steering committee, chaired at a senior level, meets monthly to review progress and to take strategic decisions. The Department's project team, headed by a very experienced project director, is based at the site, and works closely with the consultants, contractors and project managers who are under contract to us. Progress is monitored against budget and a detailed programme of work, covering many thousands of activities. Spending is constantly under review, through detailed reports which show expenditure and expected outturn against each parcel of work.