§ Mr. MilburnTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many contracts his Department has had with consultants; and what has been the total cost in each of the last five years. [33562]
Mr. John M. TaylorInformation has not been held centrally for the full period in question, and information prior to 1992–93 could be provided only at disproportionate cost. On the best information currently available details of external consultancy contracts for the years from 1992–93 are as follows:
year Number of contracts Value £000's 1992–93 74 3,455 1993–94 72 1,224 1994–95 84 1,640
§ Mr. MilburnTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will estimate the cost of employing consultants in connection with privatisation programmes in which his Department has been engaged since 1980. [33464]
Mr. TaylorNo Department for which the Lord Chancellor is responsible has incurred any consultancy costs in connection with privatisation programmes since 1980.
§ Mr. MilburnTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department 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. [33444]
Mr. TaylorThis information has not been held centrally, and figures for the years before 1992–93 could be provided only at disproportionate cost. On the best information currently available, the five consultancy firms which have won the most contracts for the years from 1992–93 are:
Consultants Number of contracts Value £000s 1. Myriad Computer Services 9 190 2. Peat Marwick 7 246 3. TBV Consultants 7 122 4. Price Waterhouse 6 353 5. WS Atkins 5 164
§ Mr. Austin MitchellTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many contracts and for what total sum were let out by his 863W 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, (i) Pannell Kerr Foster and its subsidiaries for privatisation, market testing, management advice, accounting, audit, consultancy and other services in 1993–94 and 1994–95. [33912]
Mr. TaylorThis information has not been held centrally. On the best information currently available, the details for the Lord Chancellor's Department are as follows:
Consultants Number of contracts Amount £000's Coopers and Lybrand 2 79 Peat Marwick 7 246 Ernst and Young 1 11 Arthur Andersen nil nil Price Waterhouse 6 276 Grant Thornton nil nil Stoy Haywood nil nil Robson Rhodes 1 3 Pannell Kerr Foster nil nil The Lord Chancellor is now responsible for four agencies: the Court Service, Her Majesty's Land Registry, the Public Record Office and the Public Trust Office. Information relating to the Court Service is included in the figures above, as it became an agency only after the period in question; and information relating to the Public Trust Office is included up to the time it acquired agency status in July 1994. In respect of the Land Registry, the Public Record Office, and the Public Trust Office from July 1994, the question concerns operational matters on which the chief executives are best placed to provide answers. I have accordingly asked them to reply direct.
Letter from David Thomas to Mr. Austin Mitchell dated 17 July 1995:
CONSULTANCY COMPANIES
In the absence of the Chief Executive, who is on leave, I have been asked by the Lord Chancellor's Parliamentary Secretary to reply to your question on contracts let to specified companies for privatisation, market testing, management advice, accounting, audit, consultancy and other services in 1993–94 and 1994–95.The following contracts were let:
864W
Number of contracts Total sum £ 1993–94 Coopers and Lybrand and its subsidiaries — — Peat Marwick and its subsidiaries — — Ernst and Young and its subsidiaries 1 113,749 Arthur Andersen and its subsidiaries — — Price Waterhouse and its subsidiaries 1 19,960 Grant Thornton and its subsidiaries — —
Number of contracts Total sum £ Stoy Hayward and its subsidiaries 1 13,920 Robson Rhodes and its subsidiaries — — Pannell Kerr Forster and its subsidiaries — — 1994–95 Coopers and Lybrand and its subsidiaries — — Peat Marwick and its subsidiaries — — Ernst and Young and its subsidiaries 1 229,809 Arthur Andersen and its subsidiaries — — Price Waterhouse and its subsidiaries — — Grant Thornton and its subsidiaries — — Stoy Hayward and its subsidiaries 1 60,395 Robson Rhodes and its subsidiaries — — Pannell Kerr Forster and its subsidiaries — — Letter from Stella Hutcheson to Mr. Austin Mitchell, dated 10 July 1995:
The Parliamentary Secretary of the Lord Chancellor's Department has asked me to reply to you as part of the Lord Chancellor's Department's response to your Parliamentary Question, listed on 7 July 1995, regarding the cost of contracts awarded to various firms and their subsidiaries in 1993–94 and 1994–95.In 1994–95 Price Waterhouse were awarded a contract to provide management advice at a cost of £65,742.55.Letter from John Manthorpe to Mr. Austin Mitchell, dated 17 July 1995:
CONTRACTS FOR PRIVATISATION, MARKET TESTING, MANAGEMENT ADVICE, ACCOUNTING, AUDIT CONSULTANCY AND OTHER SERVICES 1993/94 AND 1994/95.I have been asked by the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department to reply to your recent question about the number and total sum of contracts let out to a list of 9 consultancy companies in the years 1993/94 and 1994/95.One contract was let to Coopers Lybrand, in 1993/94, for a sum of £12,601.87.I do hope that this answers the points raised with the Parliamentary Secretary, but please contact me if I can be of any further assistance.