Written question asked by Baroness Walmsley (Liberal Democrat), in the House of Lords. It was answered by Baroness Morgan of Drefelin (Labour) on Tuesday, 2 June 2009.

Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Bill

Question: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many officials have been involved in the preparation of the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Bill; and what was the cost of preparing the Bill up to the date of its First Reading in the House of Lords.

Answer: The preparation of the Bill has been led by a joint DCSF-DIUS Bill team comprising six members of staff. The total expenditure incurred by the Bill team during 2008-09 was £162, 897, and the Bill team has a budget for the current financial year of £214,026. The Bill team has worked closely with officials and lawyers from across the two departments, other government departments and the devolved Administrations both in preparing the Bill and during its passage through Parliament. No figures are available on the total number of officials involved or the total costs associated with the Bill, and this information could not be obtained except at disproportionate cost.

Secondary information