FOI001045 FOI Finance

This is a request under the Freedom of Information Act regarding the council’s spending on consultancies. We seek this information to promote transparency and ensure public funds are spent effectively.
Please provide the following information, broken down by the financial years 2021/22, 2022/23, and 2023/24:
1.    Total consultancy spending
o    The total amount spent by the council on consultancy services for each financial year.
2.    Breakdown by firm
o    A breakdown by firm of consultancy payments made by the council in each financial year. If providing details for each firm exceeds the cost limit, please provide whatever information can be provided within the limit, such as by focusing on firms with total payments exceeding £10,000.
3.    Council policy on consultancy payments
o    A copy or summary of the council’s policy, if one exists, regarding limits or guidelines on payments to external consultants, including rate caps or other criteria used to determine acceptable consultancy costs.
4.    Highest individual consultancy payments
o    The highest individual payments made to consultants. Please provide: 
    The largest total payment(s) made to an individual consultant or consultancy firm in each financial year.
    The highest hourly or daily rate paid to an individual consultant or firm during each financial year. If feasible, please specify the context (such as the nature of the work or project) for these highest rates.
Definition: By “consultancy spending,” we refer to payments made to organizations or individuals brought in to provide expert advice or support in implementing specific projects or initiatives.