HC Deb 19 February 1990 vol 167 cc510-1W
Mr. Austin Mitchell

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, further to his reply to the hon. Member for Great Grimsby of 18 December,Official Report, columns 57–58, concerning the accountancy firms employed by his Department, if he will indicate (a) the names of the six firms, (b) a list of payments made to each in 1988 and 1989 and (c) details of the consultancy contracts given to each firm.

Mr. Peter Walker

The information is as followsFirm and Project Coopers and Lybrand Developing and implementing All Wales Strategy, including Resource Management, for NHS in Wales. Price Waterhouse Project 2000—option appraisal of nurse training. Advice on longform reports and fraud and system audit.* Peat Marwick Review of financial accounting systems for NHS in Wales. Ernst and Young Advice on computer audit. Touche Ross Provision of financial advice on longform reports, reporting accountant consistency and project management.* Deloittes K" setting.*

Those marked with an asterisk were jointly appointed with DOE as part of the water privatisation proposals. The full cost of the "K" setting project is being borne by DOE.

It would be inappropriate on grounds of commercial confidentiality to list individual payments. However, total payments amounted to £292,373 in 1988 and £117,238 in 1989.