Mr. Robert Watt:

There is a legitimate issue about the independence of that advice. If Department X is wedded to a particular project, will a consultancy tell it that the project is no good if that consultancy wants to get work again? Of course, there is an issue there. That is one of the reasons we have a Civil Service. It is so that we hope people in the Civil Service will develop the skills but, ultimately, try to give their advice based on their assessment of the public interest.