Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to page 81 of her Department's annual report and accounts 2024-25, published in July 2025, HC 1062, for what reason core departmental contingent labour spending increased from 2023-24 to 2024-25.

The increase in contingent labour spend between 2023–24 and 2024–25 (£6.808m to £7.674m) reflects targeted use of specialist contractors to support priority programmes, particularly in digital, technical, and transformation services.

The department remains committed to reducing reliance on external suppliers and consultants, having already achieved a 50% reduction in consultancy use since 2023/24. As part of our ongoing invest-to-save initiative, we are actively replacing contractors and professional services with permanent civil servants. This approach has already delivered substantial savings and is expected to generate further annual efficiencies. By building in-house capability, the department is not only reducing costs but also enhancing the skills and sustainability of the civil service workforce, which in turn supports more effective and efficient delivery of our objectives.