§ Mr. MilburnTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what monitoring takes place by his Department of the use of external consultants by non-departmental public bodies. [16750]
§ Mr. BurtThe use of external consultants by non-departmental public bodies—NDPBs—is discussed and agreed with the Department,usually during the planning and allocation process and as such are included in any business or corporate plans. The results of any consultancy exercise are monitored each year as part of an established accountability review process and actual expenditure is recorded and monitored on a monthly basis throughout the financial year. The Department's NDPBs are also subject to scrutiny by the National Audit Office and by the Department's own internal audit team.