This level of advertising quite frankly is obscene

Charles Kennedy

New figures show the government has spent �60m on advertising in the past three months - more than twice as much as in the corresponding period last year.

The figures prompted sharp criticism from Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy who described them as "obscene" - and from Conservative leader William Hague, who called them "ludicrous".

The Tories have written to Cabinet Secretary Richard Wilson, head of the civil service, demanding an inquiry.

But Mr Blair told MPs it was being used to help recruit teachers, nurses and police.

Commons exchange

The issue sparked angry exchanges in the House of Commons.

Mr Hague compared the �60m advertising bill with the �6m given to the British Tourist Authority to market Britain abroad during the foot-and-mouth crisis.

He asked: "Isn't it time the government stopped spending record sums advertising themselves and spent it on advertising Britain?"

The prime minister replied: "The vast bulk of these government advertisements are for campaigns that either ensure we recruit the people we need for our public services - or that we make sure that, for example, people entitled to the child tax credit get it."

He said more money to promote tourism would be announced "in the next few days".

McCartney: Spending rise a coincidence.

Spending on publicity averaged �7.3m a month last year - but jumped in the first three months of this year to:

• January -�16m
• February - �16.4m
• March - �30.2m

In February, the biggest government campaigns aimed to encourage families to claim the new children's tax credit, to recruit more nurses and to persuade people to plan their pensions.

Isn't it time the government stopped spending record sums advertising themselves and spent it on advertising Britain?

William Hague

A survey of the world's 10 biggest advertising markets in the latest edition of trade magazine Ad Age Global suggests the government's spending is unusually high.

Canada is the only other country where the government appears among the top 10 advertisers.

'Regulation needed'

Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy told BBC News: "I think this level of advertising quite frankly is obscene."

He did not think it was a coincidence that the spending came when a May general election had been likely.

"I really do think some kind of independent, outside regulation is going to have to be introduced to keep a check on what the government is spending on your and my behalf as taxpayers," said Mr Kennedy.

Cabinet Office Minister Ian McCartney insisted that the rise in spending before a likely election was a coincidence.

But shadow Cabinet Office Minister Andrew Lansely called for an inquiry.

In his letter to Sir Richard, he said: "I hope you will wish to investigate this; I would urge you to reassert the rules on government advertising, even if recent events have allowed Ministers to push through much more than they should."