Waste at Dept of Work & Pensions
Tories Warn about Waste at Department of Work & Pensions
New Government figures show that the Department for Work and Pensions has spent £727 million refurbishing its offices since 2001. Ministers also spent £232,000 changing the Department’s name from Department for Social Security to Department for Work and Pensions. In addition, £12 million was spent on consultants and accountants and £56 million spent on advertising campaigns such as the £12 million spent trying to persuade benefit claimants to have their money paid directly into banks. Gordon Brown recently announced plans to axe 40,000 ‘posts’ in the DWP.
Stella Kyriazis, the Conservative parliamentary spokesman for Telford said: “Can anyone argue that the Department provides a better service to taxpayers as a result of these huge refurbishments and glossy advertising schemes? And for a Government to refurbish offices at vast expense and then announce a cost cutting drive to sack the clerks who work in them is absurd. The more we learn about how Mr Brown spends our money, the more we discover that he prefers lavishing it on the government itself than on key front line services. Meanwhile, our pensioners face rising council tax bills and uncertain futures. The only thing this Government ‘cares’ about is itself”.
New Government figures show that the Department for Work and Pensions has spent £727 million refurbishing its offices since 2001. Ministers also spent £232,000 changing the Department’s name from Department for Social Security to Department for Work and Pensions. In addition, £12 million was spent on consultants and accountants and £56 million spent on advertising campaigns such as the £12 million spent trying to persuade benefit claimants to have their money paid directly into banks. Gordon Brown recently announced plans to axe 40,000 ‘posts’ in the DWP.
Stella Kyriazis, the Conservative parliamentary spokesman for Telford said: “Can anyone argue that the Department provides a better service to taxpayers as a result of these huge refurbishments and glossy advertising schemes? And for a Government to refurbish offices at vast expense and then announce a cost cutting drive to sack the clerks who work in them is absurd. The more we learn about how Mr Brown spends our money, the more we discover that he prefers lavishing it on the government itself than on key front line services. Meanwhile, our pensioners face rising council tax bills and uncertain futures. The only thing this Government ‘cares’ about is itself”.
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