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8 Sept 2004 : Column 1315W—continued

Civil Service

Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent action the Government have taken to resolve the Northern Ireland Civil Service dispute; and if he will make a statement. [187287]

Mr. Pearson: Intensive negotiations took place in July between officials from the Department of Finance and Personnel and trade union representatives. At these meetings officials emphasised that the 3.67 per cent. pay deal for 2003 had now been paid and was final, but that they were willing to explore all reasonable means of resolving the dispute. The trade union also met with the Secretary of State on 23 July. On 3 August management tabled two offers to the trade union—a 12-month offer worth 3.49 per cent. and a 16-month offer worth 4.65 per cent. Both offers were quickly rejected and further negotiations took place on 4, 11 and 13 August. Following these further negotiations two final offers were made to the trade union on 16 August that took account of the trade unions views—the previous 12 month offer worth 3.49 per cent. and a revised 16-month offer worth 4.65 per cent. The revised offer included an increase in rates of pay of 2 per cent. plus a non-consolidated payment of £150 for all staff. These offers are now being considered by the trade union.

Staff in the Northern Ireland Office are subject to separate pay negotiations involving NIPSA in respect of Northern Ireland Civil Servants and PCS and FDA in respect of Home Civil Servants. All three unions remain in dispute in relation to the 2003 pay award, although only NIPSA has taken industrial action. Exploratory discussions have now taken place between NIO officials and each of the unions regarding pay increases for 2004, and the unions will be invited into formal negotiations in relation to 2004 pay once the NIO's pay remit receives approval from the Treasury.

Mr. McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will delay making appointments in recruitment competition SC/18/03 until the Northern
 
8 Sept 2004 : Column 1316W
 
Ireland Civil Service Commissioners have satisfied themselves as to the legality of the exclusion of Irish nationals from that competition. [186369]

Mr. Pearson: No. Competition SC/18/03, which is now closed, resulted in the appointment of one Grade 6.

Consultation

Mr. McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what costs were incurred during 2002–03 by each Northern Ireland Department, their agencies and non-departmental public bodies on consultation. [180988]

Mr. Pearson: The costs incurred during 2002–03 by each Northern Ireland Department, their agencies and non-departmental public bodies on consultation (i.e. external consultancy) were as follows:
Total departments, agencies and NDPBs—2002/03

	£
Department of Agriculture and Rural Development	872,000
Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure	1,996,149
Department of Education	2,993,526
Department of Employment and Learning	435,103
Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment	3,866,000
Department of Finance and Personnel	2,487,429
Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety	1,198,754
Department of the Environment	1,719,891
Department of Regional Development	2,337,000
Department of Social Development	12,619,000
Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister	1,000,064
Northern Ireland Office	3,742,397
Total	35,267,313

Mr. McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what costs were incurred during 2002–03 by each Northern Ireland Department, their agencies and non-departmental public bodies on consultation whose contracts were awarded under single tender. [180989]

Mr. Pearson: The following table shows the costs incurred during 2002–03 by the Northern Ireland Office, Northern Ireland Departments, their agencies and NDPBs on consultancy contracts awarded under single tender action.
 
8 Sept 2004 : Column 1317W
 

£

NI Departments	Department	Agencies	NDPBs	Total
Northern Ireland Office	519,967	178,350	1,859,707	2,558,024
Department of Agriculture and Rural Development	62,182	0	20,782	82,964
Department of the Environment	18,564	200,384	0	218,948
Department of Social Development	37,685	0	0	37,685
Department of Regional Development	104,165	67,295	0	171,460
Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister	106,694	0	0	106,694
Department of Employment and Learning	0	0	0	0
Department of Education	800,438	0	0	800,438
Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety	238,812	15,057	13,102	266,971
Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment	104,434	0	348,723	453,157
Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure	79,432	744	159,962	240,138
Department of Finance and Personnel	467,340	298,237	0	765,577
Total	2,539,713	760,067	2,402,276	5,702,056

Mr. McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what consultancy companies have been awarded contracts of over £10,000 by each Northern Ireland Department, their agencies and non-departmental public bodies, under single tender arrangements in 2002–03; and what the associated payments made to each of them were. [180990]

Mr. Pearson: The following table shows by Department, the consultants that were awarded contracts valued in excess of £10,000 under single tender action in 2002–03.

As disclosure of individual contract values would breach conditions of contract the table shows the total value of contracts awarded by Departments including their agencies and NDPBs.
£

	Department
Consultant	DHSSPS	DFP	DCAL	DETI
Deloitte and Touche	—	—	Yes	Yes
Drivers Jonas	—	—	Yes	—
Elite Training	Yes	—	—	—
ES Consultancy	Yes	—	—	—
Farrell Grant Sparks	—	—	Yes	—
Gartner Group	—	—	—	Yes
IT Force	—	—	Yes	—
Kearney Communications—		—	—	Yes
KPMG	Yes	—	—	—
McCready and Donnelly	Yes	—	—	—
Milward Brown	—	—	—	Yes
MSA Ferndale	Yes	—	—	—
Nicholson Graham and Jones	Yes	—	—	—
NIERC	—	—	—	Yes
PA Consulting	—	Yes	—	—
Partnership UK/OGC	—	Yes	—	—
PricewaterhouseCoopers	—	—	—	Yes
Queens University	Yes	—	—	—
Richard H. Mackenzie	—	—	Yes	—
University of Ulster	Yes	—	—	—
Total value of contracts	244,926	69,888	187,664	345,938

£

	Department
Consultant	DRD	OFMDFM	DEL	DE
BIC Systems	—	Yes	—	—
MWM Associates	Yes	—	—	—
Navigator Blue	—	Yes	—	—
NICE	—	Yes	—	—
ORC International	Yes	—	—	—
University of Ulster	Yes	—	—	—
Venture International	—	Yes	—	—
Total value of contracts	58,046	159,024	—	—

 
8 Sept 2004 : Column 1318W
 

£

	Department
Consultant	NIO	DARD	DOE	DSD
Anderson Spratt	Yes	—	—	—
Arcominteractive	Yes	—	—	—
ASE Consulting	—	—	—	Yes
BDO Hayward	Yes	—	—	—
Cap Gemini Ernst and Young	Yes	—	—	—
Capita Business Services	Yes	—	—	—
Deloitte and Touche	Yes	Yes	—	Yes
Environmental Resource Management	—	—	Yes	—
Helm Corporation	Yes	—	—	—
ICS Computing	Yes	—	—	—
Lead Project Management	Yes	—	—	—
OMI Consulting	—	Yes	—	—
PA Consulting	Yes	—	Yes	—
Partnership UK/OGC	Yes	Yes	—	—
PricewaterhouseCoopers	Yes	—	Yes	—
Qi Consulting	—	—	—	Yes
Queens University	Yes	—	—	—
Stairway Transformation	Yes	—	—	—
Sysco	Yes	—	—	—
Total value of contracts	2,535,738	51,168	183,826	178,385

Key:
DHSSPS—Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety
DFP—Department of Finance and Personnel
DCAL—Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure
DETI—Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment
DRD—Department of Regional Development
OFMDFM—Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister
DEL—Department of Employment and Learning
DE—Department of Education
NIO—Northern Ireland Office
DARD—Department of Agriculture and Rural Development
DOE—Department of the Environment
DSD—Department of Social Development

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