£16, 036,000.00 - the shocking sum spent by Joint First Ministers on 'consultants'

08 June 2011

Statement by Jim Allister MLA:

“In these hard economic times when ordinary families are facing serious financial pressures it is more important than ever that they know that the powers that be are being prudent when it comes to tax payer’s money. That being the case I am sure that many of them will share my dismay at the fact that the Office of the Joint First Ministers has spent a shocking £16,036,000 on consultants over the past four years.

“I will be asking follow up questions to establish exactly what these consultations have been engaged by the Department to do but one thing is certain – over £16 million cannot have been justified.”

Note to editors:

The question put by Mr Allister and received from the Department was a follows:

Q. To ask the First Minister and deputy First Minister to detail the cost to their Department of engaging external consultants in each financial year since May 2007.

A. The table below details the cost to OFMDFM of engaging external consultants in each financial year since May 2007. These figures include external consultancy incurred by the Department’s Arms Length Bodies.

OFMDFM External Consultancy Expenditure

* 2010/11 External consultancy figures are draft at this stage pending the completion of the audit of OFMDFM and its Arms Length Bodies’ Financial Statements.

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