§ Mr. FlightTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what has been the cost of consultation on the(a) Savings Gateway and (b) Child Trust Fund; [21022]
(2) what he expects to be the cost of (a) the Savings Gateway pilot projects and (b) the follow-up report, "Delivering Saving and Assets"; and when he expects each of them to be completed; [21023]
(3) what his current target date is for the introduction of (a) the Savings Gateway and (b) the Child Trust Fund. [20995]
§ Ruth KellyConsultation on proposals for the Savings Gateway and Child Trust Fund, including publishing the follow-up consultation document "Delivering Saving and Assets", has been conducted at negligible cost and within Departmental Expenditure Limits.
The costs of the Savings Gateway pilot schemes and further consultation on the Savings Gateway and Child Trust Fund will also be contained within existing spending plans. Detailed proposals of the pilot schemes remain to be decided, but based on the proposed size and scope of the pilot projects it is anticipated that the costs of operating them might be up to about £1.5 million. Proposals for both the Savings Gateway and the Child Trust Fund will continue to be developed through the process of consultation, as well as being considered as part of Spending Review 2002. It will be important to get the design of these new proposals right and no fixed deadline has been set for the introduction of either initiative.