§ Mr. MeacherTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if his Department observes a ceiling for charge-out rates for work commissioned from commercial consultants.
§ Mrs. Gillian Shephard[holding answer 5 March 1990]: The Department of Social Security does not observe a ceiling for charging-out rates for work commissioned from commercial consultants. The Department pays the appropriate commercial rate for the grade and quality of work to be undertaken.
§ Mr. MeacherTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will give the total number of studies and reports commissioned from commercial consultants in each year 1978–79 to 1989–90, giving their total cost for each year.
§ Mrs. Gillian Shephard[holding answer 5 March 1990]: The total number of reports and studies on social security matters commisssioned from commercial consultants from 1986–87 onwards and their cost is in the table:
Year Number of reports and studies commissioned Total cost of such work in that year (£ million) 1986–87 12 0.620 1987–88 15 0.853 1988–89 21 1.372 1989–90 40 2.993 Records were not maintained in a form that enables information to be provided prior to 1986–87.
Expenditure up to and including the 1988–89 financial year has been from a joint health and social security budget. When the work involved both social security and health aspects the cost of the report or study has been apportioned accordingly.