To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what expenditure his Department has incurred on external advisory fees in relation to the proposed part-privatisation of the Royal Mail to date. (291893)

The estimated expenditure incurred to end September 2009 on legal, accountancy and financial advice to take forward the implementation of the Hooper Review’s recommendations (which included work on securing a partner for Royal Mail) was £4.6 million.