§ Ms AbbottTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the(a) accountancy firms and (b) merchant banks to which his Department awarded private consultancy work in 1992 and 1993, together with a list of the consultancies concerned and the amount paid.
§ Sir John WheelerThe information will be placed in the Library.
§ Dr. WrightTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on which occasions since 1979 his Department has employed the services of external consultants; and if he will give details of the purposes for which they were employed and the cost of employing them.
§ Sir John WheelerThe information requested is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. The latest available information is for contracts awarded for the 1992–93 financial year. Details are shown in the table.
494W
Purpose Occasions Privatisation 12 Information Technology 98 General Management 938 Next Steps Agencies 20 Capital Works Programme 149 Monitoring MMB (NI)'s commercial subsidiary (Dromona Quality Foods) 1 The Financial and Trading Position of Northern Ireland Meat Plants on behalf of the Beef and Sheep Meat Sectorial Working Party 1 Preparation of Environmental Impact Assessment of Watercourse Management scheme 1 Feasibility Studies into Watercourse Management schemes 2 The design and supervision of Watercourse Management schemes 48 Review of the Foyle Fisheries Commission 1 Evaluation of the Farm and Conservation Grant Scheme 1 Evaluating the Environmentally Sensitive Areas Land Use monitoring project 1 Audit of Credit Control Arrangements within the Forest Service in relation to Timber Sales 1 Assessment of the Financial Credibility of Potential Commercial Partners re the Flax Breeding Programme 1 Identification, Development, Installation and Commissioning of Plant at Enniskillen re the Production of Electricity from Biomass 1 Management consultancy on a Sportsturf/Playing Fields Project at Greenmount Agricultural College 1 Management consultancy on Market Testing 1 Staff training 36 Evaluation of the Agricultural Development Operations Programme 1 Strategic Plan for the Public Library Service 1 Review the structures and funding of the Arts in Northern Ireland 1 Development of Northern Ireland Education Service Strategic Planning process 1 Evaluation of the Northern Ireland Association of Citizens' Advice Bureaux and the Forum for Community Work Education 1 Advice on the grading of staff in the Staff Commission for the Northern Ireland Education and Library Boards 1
Purpose Occasions Development of Information Systems Strategy for Northern Ireland Education Service 1 Evaluation of Local Area Network 1 Survey of Health and Safety at Sports Grounds 1 Design staff magazine 1 Re-design Northern Ireland Office headed stationery 1 Staff competence framework study 1 Year 1 of 3-year combined study into "The Experience of People with Disabilities in Northern Ireland' 1 Legislating for Northern Ireland: Options for Reform 1 Law on Lethal Force: Options for Reform 1 School Effectiveness and Education in Northern Ireland: Practice, Policy and Research 1 Remands in Custody in Northern Ireland: A Critical Appraisal 1 Early Childhood Education/Services: A Review 1 Develop Library System 1 Advise on Questionnaire Development and subsequent analysis 1 Provide advice and produce reports on conservation at Hillsborough Castle 1 Energy Survey 3 Combined Meat and Power Survey 1 Construction of temporary laboratories 2 Identify site for a new permanent laboratory 1 Business implications of a transfer to Agency status 1 Glass fragment analysis 1 Overtime enquiry 1 Pensions 1 Financial Monitoring 1 Advice on asbestos removal 1 Development of total quality management 1 The total cost for external consultancy in 1992–93 is 16,399,560.