§ Mr. Malcolm BruceTo ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the expenditure of his Department, agencies and non-departmental public bodies on all external consultants including management consultants for each of the years(a) to date and (b) as estimated for the whole year; what estimate he has made of such expenditure for 1996–97; and if he will estimate the savings accruing to his Department from the use of consultants in each of these years. [11371]
§ Mr. WillettsInformation on consultancy expenditure is not held centrally and can be provided only for earlier years at disproportionate cost. The expenditure on external consultants for 1993–94, 1994–95, year to date and estimated expenditure for the whole of 1995–96 is shown as follows:
Cabinet Office (including 10 and 12 Downing street) Office of Public Service, and agencies 1993–94 5,936,200 1994–95 5,969,000 Year to date 3,272,400 1995–96 estimated total 7,276,000 A large part of these totals was consultancy to CCTA, the Government Centre for Information Systems.
HMSO COI 1993–94 1,061,000 66,700 1994–95 1,750,700 162,200 Year to date 827,000 21,400 1995–96 estimated total 1827,000 132,400 1HMSO financial year: 1 January to 31 December. Detailed estimates for 1996–97 are not currently available.
Consultants are used in a variety of activities designed to produce different types of benefits, not just cost saving.
§ Mr. BruceTo ask the Deputy Prime Minister what is his estimate of his Department's expenditure on newspapers and magazines for 1995–96 to date; and if he will list the publications purchased. [11508]
§ Mr. WillettsThis information, and similar information for earlier years, can be provided only at disproportionate cost.