Attorney-General written question – answered at on 17 December 2012.
To ask the Attorney-General what investigations have been carried out into the Serious Fraud Office’s use of consultants since 2010; if he will place in the Library the findings of any such investigations; and if he will make a statement.
There has been one such investigation during this time period. Sir Alex Allan was asked by the Cabinet Secretary, Sir Gus O’Donnell, to review the SFO’s use of consultants in autumn 2011 and he reported back in November 2011. This review was commissioned following a number of allegations made by some members of staff. Sir Alex Allan interviewed and collected evidence from those who made the allegations, from the SFO’s senior management team, from the non-executive directors and from a number of outside bodies including the National Audit Office and Cabinet Office’s Efficiency and Reform Group.
He found no evidence of improper conduct in respect to the processes by which consultancy contracts were awarded, but identified that there was a lack of documentation for some decisions, and different processes for handling consultancy contracts and other contracts. He recommended that all payments to consulting firms, whether for consultancy or for interim managers, are aggregated and treated as part of a single, continuing contract.
I would like to publish the findings of Sir Alex’s report in full and am currently considering any legal reasons as to why that may not be possible.
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