HC Deb 12 July 1995 vol 263 cc589-91W
Mr. Milburn

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many contracts his Department has had with consultants; and what has been the total cost in each of the last five years. [33570]

Mr. Hanley

There are three categories of consultants as defined by the Cabinet Office Efficiency Scrutiny. These areInvestigating problems; providing analysis or advice; and assisting with the development of new systems, new structures or new capabilities within the organisation.

For the year 1994–95, the diplomatic wing had 13 contracts with management consultants at a total cost of £76,887; 523 contracts for estate and building works consultants at a cost of £8,625,000 and 187 contracts for information technology consultants at a cost of £4,984,000.

The aid wing had 15 contracts with management consultants at a total cost of £847,545 and 1,060 contracts with consultants involved in the aid programme overseas at a total cost of £199,221,375.

Similar information for the periods 1990–91, 1991–92, 1992–93 and 1993–94 could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Mr. Milburn

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will indicate which five consultancy firms have received most contracts from his Departments by(a) number of contracts and (b) monetary value in the last five years for which figures are available. [33439]

Mr. Hanley

The information required could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Mr. Milburn

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will estimate the cost of employing consultants in connection with privatisation programmes in which his Department has been engaged since 1980. [33459]

Mr. Hanley

The cost of employing consultants in connection with privatisation programmes in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, including the ODA, since 1980 is £326,890.94.

Mr. Milburn

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which firms of consultants employed by his Department over the last year have been paid more than £1,000 per day. [33881]

Mr. Hanley

The following management consultants employed by the diplomatic wing have been paid more than £1,000 per day in the last yearPsychometric Research Development Kinsley Lord

Other consultancies within the diplomatic wing and ODA are not necessarily charged on a daily basis and such figures could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Mr. Austin Mitchell

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 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 and its subsidiaries, (b) Peat Marwick and its subsidiaries, (c) Ernst and Young and its subsidiaries, (d) Arthur Andersen and its subsidiaries, (e) Price Waterhouse and its subsidiaries, (f) Grant Thornton and its subsidiaries, (g) Stoy Hayward and its subsidiaries, (h) Robson Rhodes and its subsidiaries and (i) Pannell Kerr Forster and its subsidiaries for privatisation, market testing, management advice, accounting, audit, consultancy and other services in 1993–94 and 1994–95. [33916]

Mr. Hanley

The table sets out the number of contracts and the total costs paid to the firms mentioned.

The figures cover both the diplomatic wing and the ODA and include contracts let under the aid programme.

1993–94 1994–95
1. DIPLOMATIC WING
(a) Coopers and Lybrand
Total number of contracts 3 3
Total costs £133,000 £385,000
(c) Ernst and Young
Total number of contracts 2 1
Total costs £23,000 £4,000
(g) Stay Hayward
Total number of contracts 2 1
Total costs £164,000 £59,000
(i) Pannell Kerr Forster
Total number of contracts — 2
Total costs — £26,000
2. AID WING
(i) UK Running Costs
(b) Peat Marwick (KPMG)
Total number of contracts — 2
Total costs — £234,500
(ii) Aid programme
(a) Coopers and Lybrand
Total number of contracts 9 13
Total costs £1,406,342 £1,462,955
(b) Peat Marwick (KPMG)
Total number of contracts 9 11
Total costs £475,977 £1,325,504
(c) Ernst and Young
Total number of contracts 6 —
Total costs £2,382,040 —
(d) Arthur Andersen
Total number of contracts 1 1
Total costs £46,000 £1,330,000
(e) Price Waterhouse
Total number of contracts 12 3
Total costs £1,280,657 £5,307,209
(i) Pannell Kerr Forster
Total number of contracts 1 —
Total costs £197,250 —