To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much her Department spent on contracts with (a) Deloitte, (b) PricewaterhouseCoopers, (c) KPMG and (d) Ernst and Young in each year since 2008.

The following table gives details of spend on contracts with (a) Deloitte, (b) PricewaterhouseCoopers, (c) KPMG and (d) Ernst and Young in each year since 2008.

This table shows the amount paid to the supplier. DFID systems cannot currently automatically break this down into how much is retained in fees and how much is spent on the project they are managing. An example of such a breakdown is KPMG's programme to help the Government of Ethiopia to improve their management of the risks of climate change, which has a total value of £8.3 million, of which £0.4 million consists of fees and expenses incurred managing the programme.

Changes are now under way to DFID's accounting system to enable it to make automatic distinctions between contract fees and overall project costs. This latter money is used by communities to fund the provision of services, for example by paying salaries for teachers and health workers, and to buy goods such as textbooks and medical supplies. It also funds research and provides training and advice to support the development of local capacity.