HC Deb 27 June 1994 vol 245 cc434-5W
Mr. Austin Mitchell

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many contracts and for what total sum were let out by his Department and agencies for which it is responsible to(a) Coopers and Lybrand, (b) KPMG Peat Marwick, (c) Ernst and Young, (d) Price Waterhouse, (e) Arthur Andersen, w Touche Ross, (g) Grant Thornton, (h) Robson Rhodes and (i) Pannell Kerr Forster for (i) privatisation, (ii) market testing, (iii) management advice, (iv) accounting, (v) audit, (vi) consultancy and (vii) other services in (1) 1980 to 1983, (2) 1984 to 1987, (3) 1988 to 1991 and (4) 1992–93.

Mr. Redwood

Information is available only from 1988–89. Over this period the Welsh Office has awarded contracts to five of the firms mentioned for consultancy work, including market testing. Information on the number of contracts awarded is as follows:

1988–89 to 1991–92 1992–93
Market testing Consultancy Market testing Consultancy
Coopers and Lybrand 1 9 1 5
KPMG Peat-Marwick 5 5
Ernst and Young 1
Price Waterhouse 3 1
Touche Ross 13 1 5

Details of expenditure with individual firms cannot be disclosed for reasons of commercial confidentiality.