HC Deb 18 March 2003 vol 401 c718W
Mr. Laws

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much(a) his Department and (b) each agency and non-departmental public body spent on external consultancy an each year from 1995–96 to 2002–03 (planned); and if he will make a statement. [92254]

Mr. Nicholas Brown

The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is as follows.

The total cost to DWP of the use of external consultants and professional services in the 2001–02 financial year was £ 169.494 million.

Details of DWP external spend are recorded centrally for client group and corporate centre expenditure, and not by agency. Figures for the former DSS are available by agency, as follows.