To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the (a) cost and (b) number of consultants hired to advise Operation Quantum. [10099]

Since the inception of the project in April 1996, seven consultancy firms have been employed by the Prison Service to provide specialist advice on legal issues, corporate finance, procurement procedures and specification processes. The need for consultants has been steadily reduced as skills transfer into the service has taken place. The service now retains four consultancy firms.To date, the Prison Service has spent £2.5 million on consultancy fees. The costs of the whole procurement process, including consultancy fees, are expected to be recovered from the net savings generated by implementation of the project.