Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Civil Service: External Consultants

Thursday 11 May 2023 · 3 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 3 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Civil service uses specialist consultancy where it represents good value for money.
  • Government achieved 3.4 billion efficiency savings last year by focusing on cost reduction.
  • Government commits to ensuring no consultant is ever employed where they are not needed.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Mary Glindon Lab Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend
Employment
Context

Civil servants from the Public and Commercial Services Union are striking for fair pay. Labour is concerned about hiring expensive consultants.

Question

With thousands of civil servants striking for a fair pay deal, how can the Minister justify hiring expensive consultants instead of using in-house expertise?

Answer from Jeremy Quin

The civil service uses specialist consultancy where it represents good value for money. Civil servants provide advice across their capabilities, including modules on consultancy. Specialist consultants add value in areas like ship design where external expertise is more effective.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Explanation of using external consultants over internal staff despite strikes

How: We Do Make Use Of That Expertise, We Always Ensure That We Use The Propositions That Represent Best Value For Money

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Q2 Mary Glindon Lab Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend
NHS
Context

Concern over high spending on external consultants compared to civil servants' salaries. The Paymaster General lifted controls on private contracts in February.

Question

Spending on consultants is spiralling out of control, costing twice as much as a civil servant. Will the Minister commit to cutting unnecessary consultant spending and getting better grip on wasteful Government spending?

Answer from Jeremy Quin

The government ensures best value for money in consulting services. We achieved £3.4 billion efficiency savings last year by focusing on cost reduction, and we will continue this approach to ensure taxpayer value.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Commitment to cutting unnecessary consultant spending

How: We Always Ensure That We Use The Propositions That Represent Best Value For Money, We Managed To Secure £3.4 Billion Of Efficiency Savings Across Government Last Year

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Q3 Fleur Anderson Lab Putney
Economy Taxation Parliamentary Procedure
Context

Government spending on consultants is spiralling out of control, particularly in the Cabinet Office and Treasury. There are concerns about lack of public reporting.

Question

Consultant spending is spiralling, costs twice as much as civil servants, with the Cabinet Office and Treasury being major offenders. Will the Minister commit to cutting unnecessary consultant spending and ensuring proper public reporting?

Answer from Jeremy Quin

We ensure no consultant is ever employed where they are not needed. We focus on value for money, driving down costs and securing efficiency savings. However, the government will continue to use propositions that represent best value.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Commitment to reducing excessive consultant spending

How: We Always Ensure That We Use The Propositions That Represent Best Value For Money, We Managed To Secure £3.4 Billion Of Efficiency Savings Across Government Last Year

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