To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the cost to date and the expected future cost of his Department's market-testing programme; how many staff are engaged full-time in work relating to market testing; which firms of consultants have been used in connection with the market-testing programme; and how they were selected.

The estimated cost of the Welsh Office market testing programme since November 1991 is £647,000. The future costs of the programme have yet to be determined. There are the equivalent of approximately 7·5 full-time staff engaged on work relating to market testing. Coopers and Lybrand, Touche Ross and Price Waterhouse management consultants have been used in connection with the market testing programme. All three appointments followed competitive tendering exercises.