§ Sir Sydney ChapmanTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the annual budget was of the Postal Services Commission and its predecessor body for the financial years(a) 1999–2000 and (b) 2000–01; what the agreed budget is for 2001–02; and what the estimated budget is for 2002–03. [36260]
§ Mr. Alexander[holding answer 14 February 2002]: The Postal Services Commission was initially created within DTI by administrative action in January 2000 and became an independent non-Ministerial Government Department on the coming into force of the Postal Services Act on 6 November 2000.
No specific budget was fixed for financial year 19992000 with the initial staff and administrative costs incurred from January 2000 being covered by DTI. The agreed budgets for the following years are as follows:
- 2000–01: £3.701 million
- 2001–02: £6.101 million
- 2002–03 estimated budget: £6.001 million