HC Deb 17 January 1997 vol 288 cc404-5W
Mr. Milburn

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, pursuant to his answer of 13 January,Official Report, column 13, which Departments (a) have implemented and (b) have not implemented their action plans in response to the efficiency unit's report on external consultants. [11440]

Mr. Freeman

Each Department is best placed to provide the most up-to-date account of its progress in implementing the recommendations of the efficiency unit's report; I refer the hon. Gentleman therefore to the answers supplied by Departments to his recent questions about progress on implementation.

Mr. Milburn

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, pursuant to his answer of 13 January,Official Report, column 13, if he will make a statement on the assessment made by the efficiency unit of the monitoring of Departments' expenditure on consultants. [11441]

Mr. Freeman

The efficiency unit estimates that ministerial Departments and the Attorney-General's Office spent approximately £510 million on external consultants in 1995–96 at 1996 prices. This figure excludes spending by the Department for Education and Employment. When this latter figure is available, I will write to the hon. Member and place a copy of my letter in, the Library.

Many factors effect the level of departmental spending on consultants and expenditure should not be taken as a sole indicator of the impact of the efficiency unit's scrutiny report, the prime purpose of which was to increase control and accountability and to secure improvements in procurement and project management.