§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the cost to date and the expected future cost of his Department's market-testing programme; how many staff are engaged full time in work relating to market testing; which firms of consultants have been used in connection with the market-testing programme; and how they were selected.
§ Mr. NelsonSome £200,000 has been spent to date on implementing the 1993–94 programme and it is estimated that a further £100,000 will be spent. This includes the cost of support for the in-house teams and other consultancy work. It does not include the cost of the in-house teams themselves. Work on market testing is combined with other duties and no staff are engaged full time on this work. The firms of consultants so far used are Touche Ross, Prime Strategy Consultants and Ernst and Young. They have all been selected after a competitive tendering exercise.
Seizures of Illegal Weapons made by HM C&E within the last 10 years. Year Ended 31 March Handguns Rifles Shotguns CS Gas Canisters Stun Guns 1984 908 155 10 152 11 1985 150 52 7 174 2 1986 108 156 11 141 30 1987 1,071 28 21 114 291 1988 168 31 6 276 309 1989 130 55 28 395 73 1990 1,489 144 44 414 301 1991 253 535 49 1,132 48 1992 176 126 82 692 53 1993 138 41 39 2,580 427