To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 4 November 2008, Official Report, column 377W, on dementia: research, what estimate his Department had initially made of (a) the number of written responses it would receive to the consultation and (b) how long it would take to assess the financial implications of the final strategy. (234365)

The Department had expected a significant response to the consultation, but no specific number of written responses was anticipated. The time taken to determine the financial implications of a strategy cannot easily be assessed in advance. This will always be dependant on any changes made to the contents following consultation.