Lord Berkeleyasked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Davies of Oldham on 16 September 2004 (WA 207 ), why the "£33.7 million projected total cost of the Transport Direct programme from its inception in April 2002 until the end of the current financial year" differs from the "spend to date of £16.7 million" quoted in the Department for Transport's press release of 1 December 2004; and how they intend to spend the balance of £17 million before the 5 April. [HL617]
§ Lord Davies of OldhamThe "spend to date" figure in the press release should have read "spend to March 2004", as it did not include the figures for the 2004–05 financial year. The budget for the 2004–05 financial year is £17 million, and much of this has already been spent, although the forecast spend by year end has been reduced to £15 million.