Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how much his Department spent on private security companies in each year since 2010; and what the contractual arrangements were with each such company.

The FCO has spent the following amounts with PSC (Private Security Companies) year by year since 2010: 2010/2011:2011/2012:2012/2013:2013/2014 G4S: £28,916,168 :£30,081,113:£31,391,478:£35,285,387 Control Risks Group: £453,477:£5,573,212:£920,281:£1,208,369 Aegis: £4,211:£183,516:£563,184:£556,920 Minimal Risk :£1,951,611:£1,744,356:£2,122,113:£1,707,150 Gardaworld :£17,291,485:£16,381,944:£17,498,010:£,342,201 PSCs are contracted in a number of countries to carry out a variety of activities and duties including the static protection of premises and the close protection of personnel. They play a vital and necessary protective role in hostile environments, and enable the Government and partner organisations to carry out their work by providing essential security services.