Vol. 475 No. 8
217 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for Social Welfare the number of reports or studies which have been commissioned by him since his appointment; the cost of each report in each case; whether the report has been made publicly available; and, if not, the reason therefor. [6115/97]
218 Mr. B. Ahern asked the Minister for Social Welfare the number of consultants' reports commissioned by his Department since he took office; the number which have been completed; and the cost to date. [6130/97]
It is proposed to answer Questions Nos. 217 and 218 together.
As Minister for Social Welfare, I am responsible for a wide range of reviews of the policies, programmes and activities of my Department. Many of these reviews are carried out by staff of the Department as part of their normal work and do not involve any additional costs. They may also involve external expertise through ad-hoc working groups, commissions and so on.
In some cases external consultants are commissioned to carry out specific assignments, whether in relation to policy issues or, more commonly, to aspects of the administration of the Department's schemes and services. Generally speaking, it is not considered necessary for such reports to be published. Some 30 consultancy assignments have been commissioned since 16 December 1994. Formal reports have been provided in respect of 14 of these projects at a cost of £392,017. Details are as follows:
|
£ |
|
|
1. Independent Customer and General Public Survey |
48,156 |
|
2. Occupational Pensions Survey |
48,400 |
|
3. Review of Combat Poverty Survey |
36,603 |
|
4. Review of Benefits and Pension Application Forms and Procedures |
7,260 |
|
5. Review of Financial/Admin. Systems National Anti-Poverty Strategy |
67,000 |
|
6. (NAPS) Institutional Mechanisms Report |
9,600 |
|
7. (NAPS) Review of Family Resource Centres |
4,000 |
|
8. Review of Women's Grants |
5,340 |
|
9. Computers Sites Evaluation |
9,438 |
|
10. Money Advice and Budgeting Services |
10,000 |
|
11. Information Systems Review |
76,632 |
|
12. Costs of Housing Support Options |
12,100 |
|
13. Review of National Fuel Scheme |
15,488 |
|
14. Review of Social Welfare Rates |
42,000 |
