To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what contracts his Department has with external consultants; what the total value, including all VAT and disbursements, of these contracts are for the current financial year; how long each contract lasts; and what the forecast total value is of each contract. (163819)

The information requested by the hon. Member could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Annual expenditure on external consultants is published in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s (FCO) Department’s annual reports, copies of which have been placed in the Library of the House. The two most recent annual reports also contain details of expenditure on the top five consultancy suppliers. The vast majority of work undertaken for the FCO by consultants is associated with its major Information Communication Technology and Estate construction programmes.

I also refer the hon. Member to the reply my hon. Friend the Minister for Europe gave to the hon. Member for Fareham (Mr. Hoban) on 9 October 2007, Official Report, columns 542-43W, and the reply the then Minister for Europe my right hon. Friend the Member for Ashfield (Mr. Hoon) gave to the right hon. Member for Maidenhead (Mrs. May) on 24 May 2007, Official Report, column 1474W.