To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) how much was paid in consultancy fees by the Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions between 1997 and May 2002; (171781)

For details of consultancy fees paid by the Department in each year since it was established I refer the hon. Member to my answer given to the hon. Member for Chipping Barnet (Mrs. Villiers) of 3 December 2007, Official Report, columns 852-53W.

Due to machinery of government changes that took place in May 2002 information on what predecessor Departments spent on consultancy is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.