Written question asked by Lord Jackson of Peterborough (Conservative) on Wednesday, 19 July 2006, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 24 July 2006. It was answered by John Healey (Labour) on Tuesday, 25 July 2006 on behalf of the Treasury.

Departmental Contracts

Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what contracts were awarded by his Department to Bird and Bird Solicitors in each year since 1997; what the (a) value and (b) duration of each such contract was; and if he will make a statement.

Answer: Bird and Bird is one of the law firms participating in the L-Cat framework agreements established by the Office of Government Commerce, the Department for Education and Skills and the Treasury Solicitor’s Department to facilitate the procurement of quality legal services for government and achieve better value for money.In the period since 2002-03, the Treasury has had one contract with Bird and Bird, which was in April 2002 with a total value of £1,151.03. Information on contracts, prior to 2002-03 could be provided only at disproportionate cost due to a change in accounting system during that year.

Secondary information