Select committee: Public Accounts Committee
Conclusion 9
71st Report - Government’s use of external consultants
Published 11 Mar 2026
Addressed to HM Treasury
Public Accounts Committee Government's use of external consultants All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Conclusion (the committee's words)
We asked the Department why there is no uniform definition for consultancy used across government. The Chief Commercial Officer explained there is a standard definition for consultants across government, which is published in the Consultancy Playbook, and that the differences stem from inconsistent application across departments.18 Some of the confusion around definitions and spend arises from large contracts that combine consultancy and professional services, making it difficult for departments to isolate the spend on consultancy services only.19 The Cabinet Office stated that it expects departments to comply with the set definitions and confirmed that ALBs are subject to the same definitions.20 The Chief Commercial Officer said that the Cabinet Office is bringing Departments together to achieve greater consistency.21
From: Public Accounts Committee, 71st Report - Government’s use of external consultants (HC 1521), 11 March 2026
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 1 June 2026 (deadline 11 May 2026).