§ Dr. WrightTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food on which occasions since 1979 her Department has employed the services of external consultants; and if she will give details of the purposes for which they were employed and the cost of employing them.
§ Mr. JackThe annual costs of external consultants employed by the Department—excluding agencies—since 1984–85 are set out. The precise number of contracts, details of the purposes for which they were employed and data for earlier years can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Financial year Expenditure (£) 1984–85 127,110 1985–86 1174,724 1986–87 1135,279 1987–88 144,015 1988–89 1,174,114 1989–90 2,972,150 1990–91 4,495,793 1991–92 5,374,284 1992–93 7,010,814 1 Excludes computer consultants.