asked Her Majesty's Government:

What they estimate to be the anticipated total and annual cost savings of the FiReControl project; and how this figure differs from the earliest made estimate. [HL846]

The annual savings on running costs, once the RCCs are up and running, have been estimated at £23 million in both the outline and 2007 versions of the business case. When calculating total project savings, these annual savings need to be set against the Government's total investment in FiReControl—currently estimated at £350 million.

The FiReControl outline business case published in 2005 estimated total overall savings of £42 million (net present value over 15 years). The current business case published in 2007, which follows the award of the IT contract and signing of the buildings lease agreements, provides much greater levels of certainty, and estimates an overall cost of £32 million (net present value over 17 years).