---

Departmental Expenditure

Answer

Central records indicate that the cost to the Department of engaging external consultants and advisers in each of the following financial years has been as follows:

	£ million
	Amount
1999–2000	21
2000–01	36
2001–02	64
2002–03	93
2003–04	112
2004–05	86

I have asked the chief executives of the Executive Agencies to respond directly to the hon. Member.Further information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.Letter from Jeff Llewellyn, dated 13 February 2006:"The Secretary of State for Trade and Industry has asked me to reply on behalf of the National Weights and Measures Laboratory (NWML) to your question regarding how much was spent on external consultants and advisers by (a) his Department, (b) each (i) non-departmental public body and (ii) executive agency for which his Department is responsible and (c) each independent statutory body, organisation and body financially sponsored by his Department in each year since May 1997.""The total expenditure by NWML on external Consultants and Advisers in each year during the period 1997–1998 to 2004–2005 was:"

	£
	Amount
1997–98	—
1998–99	—
1999–2000	—
2000–01	64,087
2001–02	80,290
2002–03	71,010
2003–04	68,119
2004–05	53,837
(29) Not available.

Letter from Tim Moss, dated 13 February 2006:"I am responding to your recently tabled Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on behalf of Companies House, which is an Executive Agency of the DTI.""Spend on external consultants and advisers by Companies House is as follows:"

	£
	Amount
2004–05	664,000
2003–04	931,000
2002–03	674,000
2001–02	504,000
2000–01	565,000

"Details from earlier years are unavailable due to the disproportionate cost of retrieval."Letter from Jeanne Spinks, dated 13 February 2006:"You asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how much was spent on external consultants and advisers by (a) his Department, (b) each (i) non-departmental public body and (ii) executive agency for which his Department is responsible and (c) independent statutory bodies, organisations and bodies financially sponsored by his Department in each year since May 1997.""The Employment Tribunals Service (ETS) has spent the following amounts on external consultants and advisors in the following financial years:"

	£
	Amount
2001–02	119,255
2002–03	457,757
2003–04	441,838
2004–05	384,907

"Information requested relating to earlier years is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate costs."Letter from Desmond Flynn, dated 13 February 2006:"The Secretary of State for Trade and Industry has asked me to reply to you directly on behalf of The Insolvency Service in respect of your question (2522/2005) requesting information on money spent on external consultants and advisors since May 1997.""The Insolvency Service Executive Agency of the Department of Trade and Industry spent the following amounts on external consultants and advisors:"

	£000
	Amount
1997–98	Nil
1998–99	5
1999–2000	Nil
2000–01	Nil
2001–02	125
2002–03	Nil
2003–04	34
2004–05	Nil
2005–06	20
(30) Training strategy.
(31) E business.
(32)£18,000 race equality impact study and £16,000 help line study.
(33) Publishing to the Intranet.

Letter from Ron Marchant, dated 13 February 2006:"I am responding to this parliamentary question, tabled on 19 December 2005, concerning how much was spent on external consultants and advisers in each year since May 1997.""The Patent Office response is:"

	£
	Amount
1997–98	39,000
1998–99	8,000
1999–2000	16,000
2000–01	26,000
2001–02	53,000
2002–03	69,000
2003–04	32,000
2004–05	10,400
2005–06	17,500
(34) To date.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

39092; 442 c1637-9W;442 c1637-9W

Session

2005-06

Related items

Departmental Consultants
Thursday, 16 February 2006
Written questions
House of Commons

Subjects

Costs Executive agencies Consultants Department of Trade and Industry Government departments Non-departmental public bodies Special advisers

Contains statistics

Yes

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk