MP Austin Mitchell: Both Whitehall and local government must be investigated

Austin Mitchell, a member of the Public Accounts Committee, complains he has not been receiving proper replies to his parliamentary questions about fees given to "turnaround teams" of accountants or management experts.

Last July he was told that, according to auditors' estimates, the Department for Education and Skills was spending an annual �4m on consultants.

But the File On 4 programme has obtained a confidential internal audit report on consultancy in the DfES which shows the figure to be between �20m to �30m.

'Evasive'

"I'm furious," said Mr Mitchell.

"We need to know how much has been spent, how much of a drain it is on the taxpayer and who's overseeing all this.

"I want a case for auditors to prove the value of consultants - but let's first know what their achievements are."

Another MP, Tory Michael Penning, has accused the Department of Health of evading his questions about consultancy in the NHS in Hertfordshire.

"It became obvious in my own constituency that the number of consultants appearing was of concern. They are expensive and I wanted to know what they were doing.

"I haven't got the truth."

The report on the use of consultancy in the DfES which was seen by File On 4 was compiled by the National Audit Office.

It criticised the "inappropriate use of programme budgets to fund consultants" and said there were "34% of contracts where we considered skills should be available in the Department."

But the Office of Government Commerce, which advises departments on how best to use and hire consultants, said safeguards were in place to make sure public money was not being wasted.

Chief Executive John Oughton told File On 4: "This spending is no different to spending in any other area of government.

"It is properly audited and the National Audit Office will look at the end result."