Mr. Lorcan O'Connor:

It is not an exact science and I cannot give a definitive figure. We never set out targets for the number of cases we expect to deal with in a particular period. However, we have carried out an analysis of cases in England and Wales which indicates that Mr. Christopher Lehane, as official assignee should be dealing with between 2,000 and 2,500 bankruptcies per year on a pro ratabasis and the number of alternatives to bankruptcy should be between 6,000 to 7,000 per year. England and Wales are, of course, at a different point in the economic cycle and one could argue the figures up or down. However, they none the less suggest the ballpark level for a long-term equilibrium.