§ Mr. LawsTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much(a) her Department and (b) each agency and non-departmental public body spent on external consultancy in each year from 1995–96 to 2002–03 (planned); and if she will make a statement. [92250]
§ Alun MichaelThe information, which represents the cost of bought-in services, is as follows:
£000 2001–02 2002–03 Core-Defra 40,682 21,968 Agencies: Rural Payments Agency 2,656 1,030 Central Science Laboratory 239 152 Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science 70 70 Pesticides Safety Directorate 127 137 Veterinary Laboratories Agency 637 725 Veterinary Medicines Directorate 136 147 Non-Departmental Public Bodies: Apple and Pear Research Council 20 20 Countryside Agency 332 275 English Nature 237 305 Environment Agency 47,886 51,810 Home-Grown Cereals Authority 79 50 Horticulture Research International 134 72 Joint Nature Conservation Committee 65 42 Meat and Livestock Commission 2,510 1,610 Milk Development Council 2,000 Not available National Forest Company 52 45 Regional Flood Defence Committees 0 0 Royal Botanic Gardens 66 389 Wine Standards Board 0 14 Equivalent information for 1995–96 to 2000–01 could be provided only at disproportionate cost. The figure for 2002–03 is an estimate.