HC Deb 29 June 1998 vol 315 c30W
Mr. Maclean

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 24 March 1998,Official Report, columns 124–25, to the hon. Member for Perth (Ms Cunningham), what has been the administrative cost to his Department of accounting for postcards with money attached; what has been the average amount donated per donor; and how many responses have been sent to (i) members of the public and (ii) hon. Members and at what estimated cost. [45712]

Mrs. Liddell

The cost of processing postcards with money attached as a donation towards debt relief was estimated in March to be around £28,000. A rough calculation suggests that each donor has contributed, on average, around 50p.

Since January 1997, in response to postcards with money attached, around 4,500 responses have been sent to members of the public and over 1,600 responses have been sent to hon. Members.