§ Mr. Tim SmithTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many internal auditors are employed in his Department and at what cost; how many internal audit reports were produced in 1989; how many of these were drawn to the attention of a Minister in his Department; and what internal audit work is subcontracted to private firms and at what cost.
§ Mr. SainsburyThe joint internal audit unit of the FCO, which serves both wings, employs 21 internal auditors at an estimated total cost of approximately £845,000 (excluding superannuation) for 1989–90. In 1989 the joint internal audit unit issued 64 audit reports; one of these was brought to the attention of a Minister in the FCO.
None of the work of the joint internal audit unit is subcontracted out, although the FCO has used private consultants on internal audit work on four occasions in the last five years, and once in the last year sought unsuccessfully to negotiate a consultancy.