Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what the cost to the public purse was of feasibility studies conducted by their Department for projects that did not proceed in the last five years.

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology does not hold a central record of feasibility studies undertaken for projects that subsequently did not proceed. Identifying the total cost over the last five years would require manual review of records across multiple directorates, our partner bodies and programmes, and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. Where appropriate, feasibility work is undertaken as part of standard business‑case development to inform decisions and ensure value for money.