DfT spends over £900m on consultants

Thursday, 16 October 2008 12:00 AM

The Department for Transport (DfT) has spent over £900m on consultants since 2002, it has been revealed.

The figure came from a parliamentary answer to Lib Dem transport spokesman Norman Baker.

The answer also revealed the DfT is expected to spend more than £50m on consultants in 2008-09.

Mr Baker said: "While the DfT has been giving the green light to inflation-busting rail fare rises year after year, it has been throwing close to a billion pounds away on external consultants."

Pressure is growing on the government to cut down it's spending as the public is told to tighten its belt during the economic downturn.

"Hard pressed commuters will be demanding to know why more has not been spent on keeping fares down and reducing overcrowding," Mr Baker added.

Tags:
• constitution
,
• domestic policy
,
• government and administration
,
• legal and constitutional
,
• ministerial behaviour