Union turns fire on ￡2bn consultancy bill

摘要

Town halls spent ￡2bn on consultants and agency staff last year, according to new figures. Data collated by Unison, obtained by The MJ, shows councils in England, Wales and Northern Ireland spent an estimated ￡1.4bn on agency staff in 2007/08, and ￡66om on consultants. That represents a small decrease in agency spending, but a rise in expenditure on consultants, despite warnings from ministers to clamp down on external advice. Heather Wakefield, Unison's head of local government, said: 'Some of this spending is understandable, but a total of ￡2bn is shocking, and reflects the fact that some councils are not thinking strategically.'