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23 Nov 2005 : Column 2066W—continued
WALES
Consultants/Special Advisers
Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what mechanisms are in place to assess the effectiveness of consultant-led projects in his Department; what sanctions are available to penalise consultants who run unsuccessful projects; how many projects conducted by consultants were assessed as unsuccessful in each year since 2000; and what sanctions were imposed. [29050]
Mr. Hain: In June 2003 the Wales Office became a separate entity within the Department for Constitutional Affairs (DCA). We follow DCA's guidance for the procurement and management of consultancy services. We have not assesses any projects as unsuccessful since 2000.
Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what steps his Department takes to ensure that consultancies engaged by his Department do not claim excessive expenses. [29051]
Mr. Hain: In June 2003 the Wales Office became a separate entity within the Department for Constitutional Affairs (DCA).
The Wales Office uses the DCA's standard contract documentation, which sets contract terms including the payment of expenses. Where payment of expenses is considered necessary, these must be based on actuals and in line with civil service travel and subsistence rates.
It is the responsibility of the individual contract manager to ensure that any payments of expenses are in line contract terms.
Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list departmental projects conducted by consultants in each year since 2000; what the cost was in each case; and what the total cost of employing consultants was in each year. [29052]
Mr. Hain: The Wales Office was established on 1 July 1999, and since then the follow projects were conducted by consultants:
Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many (a) consultants and (b) special advisers were employed by his Department in each year since 1997; what the cost of each was in each year; and if he will make a statement. [27418]
Mr. Hain: The information is as follows:
(a) The Wales Office was created in July 1999. The number and spend on consultants since then has been:
| Number | £ | |
|---|---|---|
| 1999–2000 | 0 | 0 |
| 2000–01 | 2 | 16,294 |
| 2001–02 | 3 | 31,084 |
| 2002–03 | 1 | 10,758 |
| 2003–04 | 0 | 0 |
| 2004–05 | 0 | 0 |
23 Nov 2005 : Column 2067W
| Number | |
|---|---|
| Salary range: £24,349 to £48,698 | |
| 1999–2000 | 1 |
| 2000–01 | 1 |
| 2001–02 | 1 |
| 2002–03 | 1 |
| 2003–04 | 2 |
| 2004–05 | 2 |
Council Tax Revaluation
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what estimate the Valuation Office Agency has made of the number of domestic dwellings that received (a) an external inspection and (b) an internal inspection as part of the council tax revaluation in Wales. [30281]
Nick Ainger: The Valuation Office Agency has made no such estimate.
Departmental Estate
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales which buildings and sites used by his Department and related agencies (a) have ceased to be used in the last year and (b) will be closed under current plans for relocation. [31734]
Departmental Staff
Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many staff in his Office were (a) civil servants, (b) contractors and (c) other staff in each year since 1997. [27447]
Mr. Hain: The Wales Office was established on 1 July 1999.
Information relating to staffing numbers can be found in the Wales Office Annual Departmental Report 2005 section 5.7.
This publication is available via the Wales Office website: www.walesoffice.gov.uk and from the Libraries of the House.
Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the 10 highest-paid employees in his Department, broken down by (a) job title and (b) salary including bonuses; and whether the individual concerned is (i) a civil servant and (ii) a contractor in each case. [27575]
Mr. Hain: The Wales Office was established on 1 July 1999.
Information relating to staffing numbers can be found in the Wales
23 Nov 2005 : Column 2068W
Office Annual Departmental Report 2005, section 5.7. Details of individual salaries are not published save the number of senior civil service staff and salary range in the annual report at annex 5.
These publications are available on the Wales Office website: www.walesoffice.gov.uk and from the Libraries of the House.
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has to relocate staff in his Department and related agencies into London and the South East. [31736]
Identity Cards
Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what estimate he has made of the (a) total and (b) net cost of (i) integrating the proposed identity card scheme into his Department's IT systems and (ii) the ongoing operation of the scheme within his Department. [31116]
Ministerial Travel
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much has been spent in each year from 1 May 1997 on ministerial travel, broken down by (a) provision and running costs of vehicular transport, (b) first-class travel by rail, (c) standard class travel by rail, (d) first-class travel by air, (e) club or equivalent class travel by air and (f) economy class travel by air. [27669]
Mr. Hain: The Wales Office was established on 1 July 1999.
All ministerial travel is undertaken in accordance with the rules set out in the Ministerial Code" and Travel by Ministers", copies of which are available in the Libraries of the House.
For information on (a) my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Cabinet Office, (Mr. Murphy) has asked Roy Burke, chief executive of the Government Car and Despatch Agency (GCDA) to write to the hon. Member with details of the costs of ministerial vehicles provided to Departments in 2004–05. Copies of his letter will be placed in the Library.
For information for the financial years 2000–01 to 2003–04, I refer the hon. Member to the letters from the chief executive of the GCDA to the hon. Member for Buckingham (John Bercow) dated 10 January 2005. Also, to the then hon. Member for Arundel and South Downs (Howard Flight) dated 13 September 2003. Copies of these letters are available in the Library.
| £ | |
|---|---|
| 1999–2000 | 35,239 |
| 2000–01 | 62,121 |
| 2001–02 | 84,423 |
| 2002–03 | 124,035 |
| 2003–04 | 67,895 |
| 2004–05 | 10,568 |
Note:
These figures can be split between first-class and standard class, only at a disproportionate cost.
23 Nov 2005 : Column 2069W
| £ | |
|---|---|
| 1999–2000 | 105 |
| 2000–01 | 6,851 |
| 2001–02 | 5,283 |
| 2002–03 | 695 |
| 2003–04 | 95 |
| 2004–05 | 4,366 |
Note:
These figures can be split between different classes only at a disproportionate cost.
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