Vol. 542 No. 6
161 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Finance the reason less than half the funds given to the Office of Public Works to make access to public buildings easier for disabled people was spent over the past four years according to the 2000 report of the Comptroller and Auditor General; and the plans he has regarding the £2.6 million which was not spent. [25433/01]
The Estimate provision in this case referred only to works, often minor, such as the provision of access ramps, undertaken specifically and separately to provide disabled access. Design changes, adaptation works and new fit-outs incorporating disabled access requirements were of much more significance both in monetary terms and for improving facilities for the disabled and for operational reasons were accounted for separately. The expenditure when combined with expenditure under the specific disabled access programme far exceeded the commitments given.
