Written question asked by Lord Lester of Herne Hill (Liberal Democrat), in the House of Lords. It was answered by Lord Sainsbury of Turville (Labour) on Monday, 14 November 2005.

UK Trade and Investment

Question: In the light of the report by Ernst and Young on the Department of Trade and Industry export agency UK Trade and Investment, what is the total estimated cost to the public purse of the improper expenditure there referred to.

Answer: The DTI and UKTI take any allegations of impropriety or misuse of taxpayers’ money seriously, and investigate them. Action is taken where necessary. Where government departments find evidence of improper expenditure, there are procedures set out under government accounting rules and in the Civil Service management code that departments follow. They can include recovery in appropriate circumstances where it is reasonable to do so. Specific cases are subject to internal processes, and it would be wholly inappropriate to comment on them.

Secondary information