Asked directly whether she had read the January and February notes before the contract was signed, the permanent secretary said she had. She added that she considered them "properly registered concerns rather than objections".
The chair asked why eleven documents remain withheld when twenty-three have been released. The department's response was that the eleven contain live commercial terms.
A member read the eleven-month overrun figure into the record. It was not disputed.
Three officials sworn in. The session is scheduled for two hours and is being broadcast.