HC Deb 04 February 2002 vol 379 cc698-9W
Mr. Bercow

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the total external spend by his Department was on Private Finance Initiative consultants in each of the last four years; how many full-time equivalent consultants were employed over this period; how many billed consultancy days there were per year; what the implied average cost of each PFI consultant was; how many consultancy firms were used by his Department over this period; and if he will make a statement. [31047]

Mr. Andrew Smith

There are currently two Treasury PFI projects: the Treasury Building project and the Metropolitan Telephone Service (MTS) project, which is the responsibility of the Office of Government Commerce.

Fees paid to eight firms of professional advisers to the Treasury on the refurbishment between the start of the project in 1995 and financial close of the deal in May 2000 amounted to £2.637 million. Details on numbers of consultants employed and the number of days billed for each one could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

There has been no expenditure under the MTS project on PFI consultants in the last four years.

It is important that Departments develop their own internal sources of professional advice to reduce reliance on expensive external consultants. Where external advice is required Departments should take account of the guidance in Treasury Taskforce Technical Note No. 3 on How to Appoint and Manage Advisers, a copy of which is available on the Office of Government Commerce website www.ogc.gsi.gov.uk.

Mr. Bercow

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 6 December 2002,Official Report, column 522W, on private finance initiative projects, when the revised guidance from the Office of Government Commerce on the standardisation of PFI contracts will be published. [32067]

Mr. Andrew Smith

The private sector has been asked to comment on the draft revised general guidance on Standardisation of PR Contracts, which has been placed on the websites of the Office of Government Commerce and Partnerships UK. Responses have been requested by 15 February. These will be considered by the Office of Government Commerce drawing on the advice of Partnerships UK, and there will then be a period of consultation with interested parties in the public and private sectors. Publication of the revised guidance is expected in the spring.