To ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will list (a) the nature and value of contracts her Department has entered into and (b) discussions ministers or officials have held with the Monitor Consultancy since 1990. [14953]
[holding answer 7 November 1997]: No external consultancy contracts have been let centrally to Monitor Consultancy and, as far as the Department is aware, no discussions have been held.Information on contracts and discussions not related to external consultancy could be provided only at disproportionate cost.The above information does not include contracts let by the Department's Executive Agencies, and I have asked the Chief Executives to reply separately to this question.
Letter from P. R. S. Hartnack to Mr. Denis MacShane, dated 25 November 1997:
I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Patent Office to your question to the President of the Board of Trade about the Monitor Consultancy. The Patent Office has let no contracts to this organisation since 1990 and to the best of my knowledge no member of the Patent staff has had official contact with it.
Letter from John Holden to Mr. Denis MacShane, dated 24 November 1997:
I have been asked to reply to your question to the President of the Board of Trade concerning the Monitor Consultancy and comment as follows:
Letter from Seton Bennett to Mr Denis MacShane, dated 24 November 1997:
The President of the Board of Trade has asked me to reply on behalf of the National Weights and Measures Laboratory to your question about the Monitor Consultancy. This Agency has had no contact with Monitor in the period since 1990.
Letter from Ian Jones to Mr. Denis MacShane, dated 7 November 1997:
You tabled a Parliamentary Question to the President of the Board of Trade, for named day reply on 7 November, about contacts between her Department and the Monitor Consultancy. I have been asked to reply in respect of the Employment Tribunals Service.
The Employment Tribunals Service became an executive agency of the DTI on 1 April 1997. It has not entered into any contracts or discussions with the Monitor Consultancy, nor am I aware of any contacts prior to our establishment as an agency.
Letter from Peter Joyce to Mr. Denis MacShane, dated 24 November 1997:
The President of the Board of Trade has asked me to reply to your question about contracts entered into or discussions held by The Insolvency Service with the Monitor Consultancy since 1990.
The Service has not entered into any contract with the Monitor Consultancy since it became an executive agency in March 1990 and has no record of any discussions held with that firm.
Letter from Jim Norton to Mr. Denis MacShane dated 24 November 1997:
You have put down a Parliamentary Question to the President of the Board of Trade asking for information on Monitor Consultancy. As this is a day-to-day matter, I am replying as the Chief Executive of the Radiocommunications Agency.
This Agency has had no contracts, dealings or discussions with Monitor Consultancy since we were set up in April 1990.