HC Deb 28 March 1990 vol 170 cc191-2W
Mr. Tim Smith

To ask the Attorney-General what was the total amount spent by his Department in 1989 on management and computer consultancy contracts, excluding hardware and software purchases; if he will list each management or computer consultancy contract awarded by his Department in 1989, giving in each case the name of the consultancy firm and the subject of the assignment; and what is the total amount that his Department has budgeted to spend in the current year.

The Attorney-General

No expenditure on management and computer consultancy contracts was incurred by the legal secretariat to the Law Officers in 1989–90, and no such expenditure is expected by the Treasury Solicitor's Department. In 1989–90 the Crown prosecution service spent £550,000 on management and computer consultancy contracts, while the Serious Fraud Office estimates its expenditure to be nil in respect of management consultancy contracts, but £213,000 in respect of computer consultancy contracts in 1989–90. The contracts awarded by the Crown prosecution service in 1989–90 were as followsPA Management Consultants—staffing model development study, The Human Science and Advanced Technology Research Centre, Loughborough University—evaluation of the use of information technology to present evidence in court, Kinesis Computing Limited—assistance with legal information feasibility study, Cumulus Software Limited—training and assistance with changes to case tracking software, Aims Systems Limited—assistance with formal specification of SCOPE case management project, Yale Data Management Limited—assistance with the production of the SCOPE operational requirement and procurement.

The computer consultancy contracts awarded by the Serious Fraud Office were as follows: Digitus—systems analysis, design and implementation of computerised case tracking system, ITL—preparation of computer manual for document control system, Digitus—programming amendments to computer system for document control, Digitus—systems acceptance of case tracking and investigation system, Ultracomp—preparation of performance tests for case tracking and investigation system, CCTA—IT strategy study, S & S Enterprises Limited—recovery of data from disc. The total amounts the legal secretariat to the Law Officers, the Treasury Solicitor's Department, the Crown prosecution service and Serious Fraud Office have budgeted to spend in 1990–91 are nil, £5,000, £395,000 and £200,000 respectively.

Mr. Tim Smith

To ask the Attorney-General what was the total amount spent by the Land Registry in 1989 on management and computer consultancy contracts, excluding hardware and software purchases; if he will list each management or computer consultancy contract awarded by the Land Registry in 1989, giving in each case the name of the consultancy firm and the subject of the assignment; and what is the total amount that the Land Registry has budgeted to spend in the current year.

The Attorney-General

Management and computer consultancy contracts were awarded by the Land Registry in 1989 as follows:

Management Consultancy Industrial Training Service Ltd.—Programme to develop management training.

Computer Consultancy Business Information Management—Technical advice on a requirement document for procurement of a new digital mapping system. PAFEC Ltd.—An investigation into techniques for the colour scanning of map records. Intergraph (UK) Ltd.—Software development of the Registry's Intergraph System. Central Computer and Telecommunications Agency—Departmental Support Agreement providing ongoing technical advice support and Information Technology procurement services.

The Land Registry estimates that its expenditure in the financial year 1989–90, including expenditure on CCTA will be £42,899.70, and for 1990–91 a budget of £50,000 has been set.