To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what contingency preparations his Department made for the possibility of a general election in autumn 2007; and what the costs were of those preparations. (156996)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster gave on 15 October 2007, Official Report, column 822W.

The guidance covering the conduct of official business during a general election was last issued in May 2005. This guidance, and other relevant procedures and processes, are kept under constant review by Departments so that they are ready to be put in place when a general election is called.