To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the cost to the public purse was of spending on external consultants by (a) the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, (b) the UK Health Security Agency, (c) NHS England, and (d) NHS Digital in (i) 2020, (ii) 2021 and (iii) 2022; and whether any of that spending related to the preparation of funding bids to (A) his Department and (B) HM Treasury.

Suggested reply

The following table shows the expenditure on consultancy on external consultants in the financial years 2019/20 to 2021/22. Expenditure values for 2022/23 are not yet available. The Department does not hold the detail behind the expenditure.

Note:

1. The definition for consultancy is in line with HM Treasury Guidance
2. The Office for National Statistics re-categorised MHRA as falling within the Departmental Group from April 2022. In years 2019/20, 2020/21 and 2021/22 this body was not incorporated into the Department’s accounting boundary and, therefore, the Department does not hold requested data.
3. UKHSA was formed in April 2021 and became fully operational in October 2021.

Source:

UK Health Security Agency Annual Report and Accounts 2021/22.

NHS Commissioning Board Annual Report and Accounts 2019/20, 2020/21 and 2021/22. Expenditure for the NHSE Group including Commissioning Support Units and Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs).

NHS Digital Annual Report and Accounts 2019/20, 2020/21 and 2021/22.