§ Mr. MilburnTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what estimates he has made of the amount spent on external consultants by his Department's non-departmental public bodies in each of the last five years. [10172]
161W
§ Mr. BoswellThis information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
§ Mr. MilburnTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the actions his Department has taken on each of the recommendations contained in the Cabinet Office report on the Government's use of external consultants. [10173]
§ Mr. BoswellThe Department produced and implemented an action plan in response to the multi-departmental scrutiny on the Government's use of external consultants and its recommendations. Accordingly, the Department issued new guidance on the employment of external consultants, and revised its procedures for authorising the use of external consultants and for improving information within the Department on consultancy expenditure. Analogous arrangements exist in departmental agencies.