§ Mr. HealdTo ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how much his Department spent on external consultants in each financial year since 1997–98; and if he will make a statement. [160051]
§ Mr. AlexanderI refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Member for Shipley (Mr. Leslie) to the hon. Member for Buckingham (Mr. Bercow) on 26 March 2002,Official Report, column 815–816W and to the answer given to the Noble Baroness Wilcox in another place by my hon. Friend, The Lord Macdonald of Tradeston, on 27 November 2002, Official Report, column WA42.
563WThe Cabinet Office and the Central Office of Information has spent £13,460,000 during 2002–03 on external consultants.
Expenditure on external consultants during that period included advice on internal IT systems, the development of e-Government initiatives, facilities management and on Strategy Unit studies.