The Assembly Government spent more than £11.2 million on external consultants last year, figures obtained by the Welsh Conservatives have revealed.
Commenting on the figures, Opposition leader Nick Bourne AM said:
“The fact that the Assembly Government has seen fit to spend over £11 million on external consultants is nothing short of scandalous.
“Just last week Welsh Conservatives exposed vast amounts of Assembly Government spending on furniture, external legal advice and hospitality. It appears that was just the tip of the iceberg.
“Day after day we hear the Assembly Government repeating warnings to other public sector bodies about the need to prioritise spending on frontline services as budgets are put under growing pressure.
“Yet time and time again, the Assembly Government is ignoring its own advice and is throwing tax payers money away at a time when it is desperately needed elsewhere.
“It is simply unacceptable and the Assembly Government needs to take a long hard look at its priorities.
“While we accept that from time to time ministers need to seek the advice of external organisations, the scale of spending last year is symbolic of the Assembly Government’s consultation culture – with taxpayers yet again footing a very large bill.”
