Your Tax Money At Work II

Another one:

An inquiry was demanded last night into how British tourism chiefs were spending £10 million on an internet accommodation service which produced just over 400 hotel bookings this summer.
...
Sean Woodward, the Tourism Minister, disclosed that between April and August this summer, only 428 bookings had resulted from referrals from the EnglandNet "portal".

Several points:

1) What were the government doing advertising private businesses like this?
2) Do we think that perhaps a private organisation might have got better results for the £10 million?
3) Perhaps the £10 million remaining in the pockets of the populace rather than going in taxation might have produced more than 428 bookings? At £23,000 odd per booking: well, I wouldn't be all that surprised if a marginal 23 grand in private pockets spurred one further room rental. I'd certainly be convinced that if a random 428 people were bunged 23 grand each that there'd be more than 428 extra nights booked as they spent the money.
4) What the hell were they doing to spend that much money? Here's a system that starts at $600.

Quick question. Is there anyone left who believes that cutting taxation and government spending will necessarily mean the loss of vital services?