§ Mr. Austin MitchellTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what contracts his Department has had since 1997 with(a) Arthur Andersen and (b) Accenture for (i) accountancy, (ii) audit and (iii) consultancy work; and what staff have been seconded (A) to his Department from and (B) from his Department to these firms. [32422]
§ Mr. HuttonThe Department has let two contracts to Arthur Andersen since 1997 and one very small value contract with Accenture, which ended in February 2001. Records do not indicate whether the contracts were for (i) accountancy, (ii) audit or (iii) consultancy work.
The Medicines Control Agency has a long-term IT operational support contract with Accenture (and previously with Andersen Consulting).
The Purchasing and Supply Agency has one long-term contract with Arthur Andersen for audit services, which terminates in March 2002, and has let one short contract with them for consultancy work since 1997. The agency 328W has one current contract with Accenture, for consultancy work, beginning January 2002 and terminating in March 2002.
Records held centrally in the Department indicate that there have been no secondments between this Department and these firms, in either direction.