§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the total cost to his Department was of the use of external consultants in 2002. 90513]
§ Dr. MoonieThe Ministry of Defence places its annual return for external assistance expenditure, which includes fees for external consultants, in the Libraries of the House. These data are collected on the basis of the financial year, and details of expenditure for 2001–be published shortly. To provide this information on the basis of a calendar year, and a specific figure for the cost of external consultants, could be achieved only at disproportionate cost. The figures for 2002–03 will be collected and published once the current financial year has ended.