update-manager could not initialise the packet information

[Robert Chapman]

Binary package hint: update-manager

Ubuntu 9.04 - the Jaunty Jackalope .

synaptic package manager gives "no go" sign.

The message that appears is as follows:-

Could not initialise the package information

An unresolvable problem occurred while initialising the package information.

Please report this bug for the 'update-manager' package and try to include the following error message:

'E:Encountered a section with no Package: header, E:Problem with MergeList /var/lib/apt/lists/gb.archive.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_jaunty_main_binary-amd64_Packages, E:The package lists or status file could not be parsed or opened.'