HC Deb 14 July 1995 vol 263 cc845-6W
Mr. Milburn

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate the cost of employing consultants in connection with privatisation programmes in which his Department has been engaged since 1980. [33452]

Mr. Burt

There have been no privatisation programmes and no costs have therefore been incurred.

Mr. Milburn

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many contracts his Department has had with consultants; and what has been the total cost in each of the last five years. [33572]

Mr. Burt

The information is in the table.

Year Number of contracts Total cost £ million
1990–91 952 83.2
1991–92 933 69.7
1992–93 863 36.4
1993–94 971 34
1994–95 863 26.1

Figures for 1992–93 onwards refer solely to expenditure on consultancy services following work undertaken for the Efficiency Scrutiny into the Government's Use of External Consultants. Figures for earlier years include the costs of contracted services.

Mr. Milburn

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will indicate which five consultancy firms have received most contracts from his Department(a) by number of contracts and (b) monetary value in the last five years for which figures are available. [33433]

Mr. Burt

The information is in the table.

Consultancy Firm Number of contracts 1990–91 to 1994–95
Anderson Consulting 536
ICL 409
PA Consulting 345
Price Waterhouse 327
Sema 428

The monetary value of contracts is restricted commercial information.

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