§ Mr. TippingTo ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list the number and total cost of consultancies commissioned into the coal industry in the financial years 1990–91, 1991–92 and so far this year.
§ Mr. Eggar[holding answer 15 December 1992]: The Department of Energy commissioned only one consultancy on the coal industry in 1990–91, from Alan Oakes. On grounds of commercial confidentiality, the costs of individual consultancies is not released.
In 1991–92 the Department of Energy commissioned six consultancies on coal privatisation at a cost that year of £3.3 million. A further two consultancies have been commissioned by the DTI in 1992–93 and expenditure on privatisation consultants in total was £1.2 million in the first six months of this year.
In addition, a number of consultants have been used as part of the Department's coal research and development programme, managed by the energy technology support unit at Harwell.