HC Deb 06 December 1995 vol 268 c251W
Mr. Fisher

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list those(a) consultants, (b) outside organisations and (c) individuals employed by his Department in each year since 1990, indicating the purposes of their employment and the total payments made to them. [3967]

Mr. Hanley

(a) In answering this question the Department has used the definition of consultancy as set out in the efficiency scrutiny on the Government's use of external consultants.

For the year 1994–95 the diplomatic wing spent £76,887 on management consultants. The ODA spent £847, 545 on consultants assisting on management issues.

More detailed information on individual contracts and the previous years could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

(b) The Department does not hold information on outside organisations in the form requested. Invoices from outside organisations are not broken down to distinguish between provision of services and goods. Therefore the information requested could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

(c) Information on individuals employed by the Department can be found in the civil service staff post summary tables. These can be found in the House Libraries. The purpose of their employment is to assist the Department to attain its aims and objectives as set out in the departmental report. The costs of employing individuals can be found in the departmental report.