§ Mr. DobsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what was the total sum paid out in fees by his Department to management consultants in 1979–80 and in each following year; and what is his estimate for 1990–91 and budget for 1991–92.
§ Mr. LeighI refer to the answer which my hon. Friend the former Under-Secretary of State gave to the hon. Member for Holborn and St. Pancras on 13 March 1990, at column173, which covered the years 1979 to 1989. The outturn and provisional outturn figures for 1989–90 and 1990–91 respectively are given in the table:
222Wa professional, high-quality, accessible and responsive service to business and the community. The executive agencies which cover more than half the staff in the DTI have already been set demanding quality of service targets and we shall be extending this approach wherever possible throughout the Department. Following privatisation and the efforts of OFTEL the quality of telecommunications services is already greatly improved and will improve further as a result of the changes that I announced on 5 March. I attach high priority to the scope for improving the quality of postal services for business and the citizen.
Consumer Products (Safety)
§ 32. Dr. ReidTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he intends to meet trading standards officers to discuss the safety of consumer products.
§ Mr. LeighI have met trading standards officers and members of their representative organisations on several occasions at which safety of consumer products was one of the issues discussed. Officials of my Department keep in regular contact with trading standards officers.