HC Deb 25 January 1996 vol 270 cc328-34W
Mr. Malcolm Bruce

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department 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) 1979–80, (b) 1989–90, (c) 1991–92, (d) 1993–94, (e) 1994–95 and (f) 1995–96 (i) to date and (ii) 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. [11375]

Mr. Jonathan Evans

Before 1995–96, information has not been held centrally for the full period in question. and information before 1992–93 could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Expenditure by the Department and non-departmental public bodies on external consultants was as follows:-

  • 1993–94: £3.455 million
  • 1994–95: £1.640 million
  • 1995–96: £0.853 million (to date)

Forecast expenditure for the whole of the year 1995–96 is £1.234 million, and for 1996–97 is £7.018 million.

The chief executives of the Court Service and Public Trust Office will reply separately for the periods for which they have been agencies. The chief executives of the Land Registry and Public Record Office will reply direct.

In many cases, consultants are employed to contribute particular skills to an element of a much larger process. As a result, their work will be only one of several factors leading to the eventual outcome. There is therefore no ready way of apportioning their particular contribution to savings achieved.

Letter from Julia C. Lomas to Mr. Malcolm Bruce, dated 25 January 1996: The Parliamentary Secretary has asked me to reply to you as part of the Lord Chancellor's Department's response to your Parliamentary Question, listed on 19 January 1996, regarding the expenditure on all consultants for each of the years 1979–80, 1989–90, 1991–92, 1992–93, 1993–94, 1994–95, 1995–96 (i) to date and (ii) an estimate for the whole year; the estimated expenditure for 1996–97 and an estimate of the savings accruing from the use of consultants in each of these years. The Public Trust Office became an Agency on 1 July 1994 and figures prior to that date are included in the departmental Headquarters response. The cost of consultants for the financial years 1994–95 onwards are as follows:

  • 1994–95: £70,242.55
  • 1995–96: £43,753.01 (total to date)
  • £77,252.01 (estimate for year)
  • 1996–97: £70,000 (estimate)
Consultants are employed to provide a particular skill and their work is only one element of a much larger process and as such it is difficult to assess the savings to the Office as a result. However, the consultants used for the Business Process Re-engineering in 1994/95 estimated that there would be a saving of £800,000 to the Office over time.

Letter from Duncan Simpson to Mr. Malcolm Bruce, dated 25 January 1996: In the absence of the Chief Executive, who is away from the Office on official business, I have been asked by the Lord Chancellor's Parliamentary Secretary to reply for the Public Record Office to your question about expenditure on consultants and the savings accruing.

1. The Public Record Office's annual expenditure on consultants was:

  1. (a) 1979–80: nil
  2. (b) 1989–90: £46,745
  3. (c) 1991–92: £349,111
  4. (d) 1993–94: £674,305
  5. (e) 1994–95: £315,669
  6. (f) 1995–96: £213,500 to date

1995–96: £585,075 budget The estimated expenditure for 1996–97 is £775,500. 2. The above includes £120,942 spent between 1992–93 and 1994–95 on consultancy to support the market testing programme. which resulted in an annualised net saving to 1994–95 of £291,000 per annum, with additional but not yet quantified savings expected in 1995–96 and subsequent years. 3. Other consultancies have been to carry out necessary specialised work beyond this department's normal scope, rather than to realise direct cost savings. They have related primarily to the construction of a new building, also to the installation of computer systems and training.

Letter front John Manthorpe to Mr. Malcolm Bruce, dated 25 January 1996: I have been asked by the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's department, to reply to your recent question on expenditure on external consultants for each of the years a) 1979–80 b) 1989–90, c) 1991–92, d) 1993–94, e) 1994–95 and f) 1995–96 i) to date and ii) as estimated for the whole year and the estimated savings accruing to the Land Registry from the use of consultants in each of these years. I can provide the following information:

  1. a) 1979–80 No record of any expenditure on consultancy
  2. b) 1989–90 £42,900
  3. c) 1991–92 £98,539
  4. d) 1993–94 £157,022
  5. e) 1994–95 £196,011
  6. f) 1995–96 i) £236,000 (at 31.12.95)
  7. ii) £468,000
HM Land Registry has not used consultancy services extensively (the actual cost in 1994–95, for instance, represented only 0.1% of its total expenditure) and its main engagements are for specialist tuition, Information System business services, and consultancy arising from the Market Test programme. It is not possible to quantify annual cost savings but consultants services have made a contribution to the overall cost savings achieved by the Registry which, for example, in 1994–95, amounted to a 2.9% reduction in unit costs in real terms over the previous year. 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.

Letter from Michael Huebner to Mr. Malcolm Bruce, dated 25 January 1996: The Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department has asked me to reply to the above Question about expenditure on external consultants. Since April 1995, the date on which the Court Service was established, £1.11m has been spent on external consultants. Forecast expenditure for the whole year 1995–96 is £3.49m. The estimate fin-1996–97 has yet to be finalised. In many cases consultants have been used where it has not been possible to provide the same service 'in-house' or where their contribution has been a small part of a much larger project. It is therefore not possible to assess what specific savings have been achieved as a result of their contribution.

Mr. Bruce

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what assessment he has made of the total expenditure of his Department, its agencies and non-departmental public bodies on publicity for each of the years(a) 1979–80, (b) 1989–90, (c) 1991–92, (d) 1993–94, (e) 1994–95 and (f) 1995–96 (i) to date and (ii) as estimated for the whole year; what estimate he has made of such expenditure for 1996–97; and if he will break these figures down to indicate expenditure on (1) advertising and (2) press and public relations. [11376]

Mr. Evans

The expenditure on publicity by the Lord Chancellor's Department, including the Court Service. was as follows: 1989–90—£33,616; 1991–92–05,734; 1993–94—£46,667; 1994–95—£78,961; 1995–96 to date—£.83,339. The estimate for the year 1995–96 is £113,000. The estimate for 1996–97 has not yet been finalised but will be approximately £125,000. The figure for publicity expenditure for the year 1979–80 is not available.

These figures represent expenditure on press and public relations, excluding staff costs. There was no expenditure on publicity advertising in any of the years specified, and none is planned for 1996–97.

The Lord Chancellor is responsible for three agencies other than the Court Service: Her Majesty's Land Registry, the Public Record Office, and the Public Trust Office. The question concerns specific operational matters on which the chief executives of these three agencies are best placed to provide answers. I have accordingly asked the chief executives to reply direct.

The Lord Chancellor's Department is responsible for two non-Departmental public bodies, the Legal Aid Board and the Lord Chancellor's Advisory Committee on Legal Education and Conduct. Publicity expenditure by the Legal Aid Board, which was established in 1989, was as follows: 1989–90–£103,000; 1991–92–£132,000; 1993–94–£141,000; 1994–95–£207,000; 1995–96 to date–£153,178 and estimated for the total year–£218,000. The latest estimate for 1996–97 is £244,000. Publicity expenditure by the Lord Chancellor's Advisory Committee on Legal Education and Conduct is contained within its budget for postage and telephone and is not separately itemised.

Letter from Duncan Simpson to Mr. Malcolm Bruce, dated 25 January 1996: In the absence of the Chief Executive, who is away from the Office on official business, I have been asked by the Lord Chancellor's Parliamentary Secretary to reply for the Public Record Office to your question about the annual expenditure on publicity by the agencies for which he is responsible. 1. Total expenditure has been:

Advertising £ Press and Public Relations £
1989–90 nil 47,000
1990–91 28 50,000
1991–92 20,666 53,000
1992–93 77,392 57,000
1993–94 86,505 58,000
1994–95 to date 82,900 45,000
1995–96 budget 107,500 59,500
1996–97 budget 70,000 61,000

2. Figures for 1979–80 could only be supplied at disproportionate cost.3. The advertising figures are for staff recruitment and, since 1991–92, for approximately £1,500 per annum spent on advertising our own products for sale.

Letter from Julia C. Lomas to Mr. Malcolm Bruce, dated 25 January 1996: The Parliamentary Secretary has asked me to reply to you as part of the Lord Chancellor's Department's response to your Parliamentary Question, listed on 19 January 1996, regarding the assessment made of the total expenditure for publicity for the financial years 1979–80, 1989–90, 1991–92, 1992–93, 1993–94, 1994–95 and the estimated cost for the same in 1996–97. It is Government policy that the Public Trust Office does not advertise for the services it provides.

Letter from John Manthorpe to Mr. Malcolm Bruce, dated 25 January 1996: I have been asked by the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, to reply to your recent question on expenditure on publicity for each of the years a) 1979–80 b) 1989– 90, c) 1991–2, d) 1993–94, e) 1994–95 and f) 1995–96 i) to date and ii) as estimated for the whole year and estimated expenditure for 1996–97. I can provide the following information:

Advertising £ Press and Public Relations £
(a) 1979–80 23,696 —
(b) 1989–90 36,434 2,684
(c) 1991–92 6,342 22,322
(d) 1993–94 16,233 10,554
(e) 1994–95 10,070 71,765
(f) 1995–96 (i) 19,248 182,164
(ii) 13,000 131,800
1At 31 December 1995.

The increase in 1995–96 is mainly due to the production of a Land Registry Corporate Video. Estimated expenditure figures for 1996–97 are not yet available. The annual non-staff budget setting process is currently taking place and the Land Registry Budget Committee has yet to decide the final budget allocation. I do hope that this answers the points raised with the Parliamentary Secretary but please contact me if I can he of any further assistance.

Mr. Bruce

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what estimate he has made of the annual telephone costs to(a) his Department, (b) his Department's agencies and (c) his Department's non-departmental public bodies staff for each of the years (i) 1979–80, (ii) 1989–90, (iii) 1991–92, (iv) 1993–94, (v) 1994–95, (vi) 1995–96 and (vii) 1996–97; and if internal telephone directories are available to staff in all areas of (a) to (c). [11378]

Mr. Evans

Details of expenditure on telephones for LCD headquarters and associated offices, the Legal Aid Board and the Advisory Committee on Legal Education and Conduct are set out in the table, where figures are available.

The chief executives of the Court Service, the Public Trust Office, the Land Registry and the Public Records Office will be replying separately. LCD headquarters and associated offices

  • 1994–95: £644,031.98
  • 1995–96: £460,161 13
  • 1996–97: £398,000.00

The figures include a number of headquarters' outstations located around the country.

Internal directories are available to all staff. Legal Aid Board

  • 1989–90: £285,425
  • 1991–92: £322,222
  • 1992–93: £311,904
  • 1994–95: £317,215
  • 1995–96: £303,180 estimate to year end
  • 1996–97: £303,000 latest estimate.

Internal directories are available within each of the board's area offices and central departments of the hoard at its head office. Advisor,' Committee on Legal Education and Conduct

  • 1991–92: £9,389
  • 1992–93: £8,998
  • 1993–94: £8,966
  • 1994–95: £11,850
    • 333
  • 1995–96: £11,091
  • 1996–97: £11,000

The figures include expenditure on postage and telephones; the ACLEC does not have separate budgets for each item. Internal directories are available for all staff.

Letter from John Manthorpe to Mr. Malcolm Bruce, dated 25 January 1996: I have been asked by the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, to reply to your recent question on expenditure on telephone costs for each of the years i) 1979–80 ii) 1989–90, iii) 1991–92, iv) 1993–94, v) 1994–95, vi) 1995–96 and vii) 1996–97 and if internal telephone directories are available. I can provide the following information:

  • i) 1979–80: £341,149
  • ii) 1989–90: £1,198,010
  • iii) 1991–92: £1.067,855
  • iv) 1993–94: £1,007,268
  • v) 1994–95: £751,365
  • vi) 1995-96: £759,945
  • vii) 1996–97: Estimated figures are not yet available. The annual non-staff budget setting process is currently taking place and the Land Registry Budget Committee has yet to decide the final budget allocation.
Significant savings were achieved between 1993–94 and 1994–95 due mainly to the change of management in the Government Telecommunications Network (GTN). Internal telephone directories are available throughout the Land Registry. 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.

Letter from Michael Huebner to Mr. Malcolm Bruce, dated 25 January 1996: The Parliamentary Secretary has asked me to reply in respect of the Court Service to your Question about estimated annual telephone costs. The projected figures for estimated annual telephone costs from 3 April 1995, the date on which the Court Service was established, are:

  • 1995–1996: £3,027,872
  • 1996–1997: £3,044,761

Letter from Julia C. Lomas to Mr. Malcolm Bruce, dated 25 January 1996: The Parliamentary Secretary has asked me to reply to you as part of the Lord Chancellor's Department's response to your Parliamentary Question, listed on 19 January 1996, regarding the estimated annual telephone costs for each financial year since 1979 and for the forthcoming financial year. You also asked whether internal telephone directories were available to all staff. The Public Trust Office became an Agency in July 1994 and the estimated figures prior to that time for the year 1979–80, 1989–90, 1991–92, 1992–93, and 1993–94 form part of the LCD total figures and could only be provided at disproportionate cost. For the following years to 1997 the figures are as follows:

  • 1994–95: £105,000
  • 1995–96: £98,000
  • 1996–97: £98,000
Each member of staff within the Public Trust Office has access to an internal telephone directory.

Letter from Sarah Tyacke to Mr. Malcolm Bruce, dated 25 January 1996: I have been asked by the Lord Chancellor's Parliamentary Secretary to reply for the Public Record Office to your question about annual telephone costs, and the availability to staff of internal telephone directories, in the executive agencies for which he is responsible. The annual telephone costs since 1993–94 are:

  • 1993–94: £124,739
  • 1994–95: £101,170
  • 1995–96: £125,050 (budget)
  • 1996–97: £130,350 (budget)
Figures for earlier years could be supplied only at disproportionate cost. Internal telephone directories are available to staff in all areas.