This is the most transparent government ever – so the claim goes. For evidence we have from the Parliamentary record a written answer to a question from the Labour MP, Pamela Nash. Her question ran:
“To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, which five companies were used most often to provide temporary workers for his Department in the last financial year; and how much was paid in agency fees to those companies in that period.”
The reply (January 22) came from “Claire Perry (Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport); Devizes, Conservative.)”:
“In March 2014, the Department began sourcing new temporary workers via Lot 1 and Lot 2 of the Contingent LabourOne Framework. Lot 1, Neutral Vendor Service, is supplied by Capita Business Services (Grades SEO-SCS) and Lot 2, Managed Service Provision, supplied by Brook Street UK Ltd (Grades AA-HEO). It is likely that Capita Business Services sub contract to their agreed supply chain; however, the Department does not hold this information.”
“The percentage charged by the agency for each worker can vary based on a number of factors; so whilst the Department holds information on the total spend for temporary workers via Contingent LabourOne during the last financial year, it does not hold information on the amount paid in agency fees.”
To which the only possible responses are “Yes, Minister, of course”. Or alternatively, “Charles Dickens, you should be living at this hour.”