§ Mr. Malcolm BruceTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport 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. [11347]
§ Mr. NorrisThe figures requested are as follows:
Year Expenditure £ million 1993–94 24.2 1994–95 29.0 1995–96 (to date) 31.0 1995–961 (whole year) 51.5 1996–971 26.6 1Estimated. Figures from 1979–80, 1989–90 and 1991–92 are not available except at disproportionate cost.
The totals exclude expenditure on road scheme consultancies as they relate largely to production and planning work.
353WIt is not possible to estimate the savings accruing from this expenditure, the vast majority of which was for specific deliverables such as privatisation; and very little of which had the aim of achieving savings.
§ Mr. BruceTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport 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. [11348]
§ Mr. NorrisThe expenditure by the Department is as follows:
£000 Agency 1979–80 1989–90 1991–92 1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 1995–961 1996–97 MSA — — — — 104 55 80 80 Coastguard agency — — — — 241 206 281 n/a Highways agency: Advertising — — — — 320 110 n/a Publicity — — — — 20 1,000 n/a TRL: Advertising — — — 0.59 — 19 25 2n/a Publicity — — — 23.59 5 DVLA: Advertising 6 736 1,192 1,604 1,506 1,177 2,200 2,200 Publicity 27 43 45 26 38 38 DSA — — 30 40 40 40 n/a 1Estimated outturn. 2 TRL is to be privatised.