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Gershon Review

Volume 455: debated on Tuesday 9 January 2007

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much has been spent by his Department and its associated public bodies in order to achieve Gershon efficiency savings; whether these costs have been included in reports of headline efficiency savings; and if he will make a statement. (108342)

Sir Peter Gershon’s independent report on public sector efficiency did not ask Departments to record efficiencies net of upfront investment costs and DEFRA has followed this advice.

DEFRA does not hold information centrally on the total cost of achieving its Gershon efficiency gains. Such information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much in efficiency savings has been made in his Department and its associated public bodies as a result of the Gershon Review; and if he will make a statement. (108345)

Verified figures for efficiency savings made by DEFRA to the end of quarter 2 2006-07 are given in the Department’s autumn performance report published on 15 December 2006.