Senator Bob Carr: The Minister for Veterans’ Affairs has provided the following answers to the honourable Senator’s question: Suggested Response: (1) The study is expected to cost approximately $7,608,636 to complete. (2) To date, approximately $5,720,356 has been spent on the study. (3) Prior to 30 June 2012, the number of departmental staff varied in line with the different phases of the study: Set up and establishment – approximately six staff; Main registration of study participants and contracting of commissioned research components – approximately eight staff; and Contract management of the commissioned research – three staff. (4) After 1 July 2012, one departmental staff member will be coordinating the research for the Family Study Program. (5) The suite of final reports of the Vietnam Veterans’ Family Study was planned to be delivered to Government in the second half of 2012, three years ahead of the originally scheduled release of 2015-16. Due to the implementation of a ‘whole of government’ efficiency dividend strategy in the financial year 2012-13, the Department of Veterans’ Affairs has been asked to reduce its total operating budget by approximately $12 million. In a measure to realise the efficiency dividend request, the official publication of the suite of Vietnam Veterans’ Family Study reports has been re-phased for release in the 2013-14 financial year. Despite this delay, the study is still on track to be delivered two years ahead of its original schedule. The decision to re-phase the study will not affect the research outcomes in anyway. The full suite of Vietnam Veterans’ Family Study reports will still be delivered; only the timeframe for publication has changed.