asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many consultants the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs employed for each of the years 2001 to 2006. [HL2398]

The department does not record centrally the number of consultants engaged for each of the years 2001 to 2006. The information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

The guiding criterion has been, and remains, value for money from the use of consultants where it is appropriate and necessary to utilise them as an alternative to building in-house capacity in supporting the department's strategies and objectives, together with front-line service delivery.