§ Mr. MilburnTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will indicate which five consultancy firms have received most contracts from his Department(a) by number of contracts and (b) monetary value in the last five years for which figures are available; [33435]
(2) if he will estimate the cost of employing consultants in connection with privatisation programmes in which his Department has been engaged since 1980; [33454]
(3) how many contracts his Department has had with consultants; and what has been the total cost in each of the last five years. [33565]
§ Mr. Michael ForsythThe information requested is currently not held centrally and is therefore not available. Steps are, however, being taken to establish a central record of such information.
§ Mr. Austin MitchellTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many contracts and for what total sum were let out by his Department and agencies for which it is responsible to(a) Coopers and Lybrand and its subsidiaries, (b) Peat Marwick and its subsidiaries, (c) Ernst and Young and its subsidiaries, (d) Arthur Andersen and its subsidiaries, (e) Price Waterhouse and its subsidiaries, (f) Grant Thornton and its subsidiaries, (g) Stoy Hayward and its subsidiaries, (h) Robson Rhodes and its subsidiaries and (i) Pannell Kerr Forster and its subsidiaries for privatisation, market testing, management advice, accounting, audit, consultancy and other services in 1993–94 and 1994–95. [33908]
§ Mr. ForsythThe information requested is currently not held centrally and is therefore not available. Steps are, however, being taken to establish a central record of such information.
Guidance to staff considering the use of external consultants is available from my Department's efficiency unit and purchasing and supply division.