Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will make an assessment of the value for money of the use of external consultants by the civil service.

Consultants can bring highly valuable expertise to support Government in delivering outstanding public projects. It is essential that Government continues to be able to access the right skills at the right time, but also that we do so in the right way and deliver the desired outcomes. Government is committed to working together to get the most value from our spend and to achieve the highest quality results.

The Consultancy Playbook, published in May 2021 alongside the Sourcing Playbook, provides additional guidance when buying consultancy services. This supports Government’s agenda to commission and engage with consultants more effectively, achieving better outcomes, better value for money, and improved civil service capability through the transferral of knowledge and skills.

Consultancy spend by department is published on GOV.UK