§ Mr. Malcolm BruceTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his estimate of the expenditure of his(a) Department, (b) agencies and (c) non-departmental public bodies on external consultants in (i) 1995–96, (ii) 1996–97, (iii) 1997–98 to date and (iv) 1997–98 full year; and if he will also estimate the cost savings resulting from the employment of such consultants for each of the above years. [26675]
§ Mr. Straw[holding answer 5 February 1998]: My estimate of expenditure of my Department, its agencies and non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) on external consultants is as follows:
£ 1995–96 1996–97 1997–981 (to date) 1997–98 Home Office 210,200,000 1,956,535 557,975 1,754,412 Agencies 210,200,000 9,848,449 3,300,000 4,000,000 NDPBs 944,000 713,000 493,000 580,000 1To end November 1997 (latest available figure). 2Estimated figure for Home Office and agencies. The cost savings resulting from the employment of external consultants by the Home Office, its agencies and NDPBs for each of the above years could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.