§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment 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. Gummer[holding answer 7 June 1993]: The total cost of the programme to date has amounted to approximately £1,329,000. It is not possible to estimate the future cost of my Department's programme.
There are 11 staff in my Department directly assigned to the market-testing programme.
My Department has used the following consultancy services to assist in the development of the market testing process since November 1991.
- Dr. Alan Kemp
- Shreeveport
- Simon Thorpe Consultancy
- Hoskyns Group plc
- Prime Strategy Consultants
- Symonds
- Capita Management Consultancy
- Coopers and Lybrand
- Smith and Williamson
- Mr. P. Dworkin
- Touche Ross
- Peter Burholt Consultancy Ltd.
- Lane Whittlesey Business Consultants
- Mouncy and Partners
The consultants were selected using the normal departmental competitive tendering procedures, with the exception of Dr. Kemp, who was at the time already employed as a special adviser to the then Secretary of State.