§ Mr. Don FosterTo ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how much her Department spent on external consultants and advisers in each of the last four financial years. [97423]
§ Marjorie MowlamMy Department's expenditure on external consultants and advisers in each of the last four financial years is given as follows:
£ Year Expenditure on external consultants and advisers 1995–96 5,015,495 1996–97 4,708,290 1997–98 2,820,726 1998–99 5,534,507 Note:
The increase from 1997–98 to 1998–99 is largely because of new expenditure in the following areas: GCHQ consultancy services (CESG) by Central IT Unit (£1,483,858); combating the Millennium Bug expenditure by Y2K team (£502,956); and the Peoples Panel by Modernising Public Services Group (£451,812).