§ Mr. LawsTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much(a) his Department and (b) each agency and non-departmental public body spent on external consultancy in each year from 1995–96 to 2002–03 (planned); and if he will make a statement. [92240]
§ Mr. Charles ClarkeThe following table shows expenditure on administrative external consultancy by my Department.
£ million Actual expenditure Estimated outturn 1996–97 9.14 1997–98 4.54 1998–99 5.21 1999–2000 4.45 2000–01 4.74 2001–02 5.66 2002–03 2.77 These figures exclude programme consultancy costs spent directly by the Department and its agencies, which are currently not collected centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. From April 2003 arrangements will be made to collect centrally expenditure information for programme consultancy costs spent directly by the Department. The table also excludes all consultancy spend for non-departmental public bodies, as they are not required to provide the Department with detailed information on consultancy expenditure.
536WExpenditure information for 1995–96 could not be readily obtained as information is not held electronically for that year.
Figures for 1996–97 to 2001–02 include consultancy spend incurred by central functions that subsequently transferred to Other Government Departments under Machinery of Government changes.