Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether any (a) external contractors and (b) consultancy companies engaged by her Department have charged more than the initial price agreed for their services since May 2010.

Controls in core Defra ensure that for any contract over £10k any changes in prices require prior formally agreed changes to contracts. Reviewing all contracts signed since 2010 to identify such changes to the cost of the contract would entail disproportionate costs.