Positive Action Group - Possan Jantys Jarrooagh

In Tynwald (November 2011) MHK Kate Beecroft asked about external advisors used by the Department of Economic Development. In his answer Minister Shimmin differentiated between paid and unpaid bodies and revealed the cost. 

Which external trade associations, professional bodies, registered charities and consultants are actively engaged with the Department to advise on strategy and service delivery plans; and what the external advisers cost, broken down into (a) expenses and (b) labour charges?

The extent of government's use of consultants was exposed in a multi page written answer (No 13) to a question from Speaker Rodan in January's Tynwald.

Almost £12 million expenditure was declared in employing over 80 of them, many from off-Island.

One startling fact is that the Chief secretary's Office and DED together spends £450,000 per annum on PR consultants, Lanson Communications.

However this may not be the complete overall picture, as the definition of consultant may well have been narrowly interpreted.

For example it was revealed only a month ago that Tri-X Childcare Limited (a UK company), is contracted until the end of March,by the Department of Social Care, on behalf of the Safeguarding Children Board, at a cost of £112.000. Yet there is no mention of this at all in the answer.

Chief Minister Allan Bell in the earlier Q& A session had spoken at length about the need to change the culture within government.

A good starting point may well be to reduce the dependency on consultants, after all government already employs about  2150 civil servants.

Attachments:

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ConsultantsAnswerTynwald170112.pdf	425 Kb	1216