According to figures released yesterday, the amount taxpayers money spent on consultancy fees in relation to PFI contracts by the Department of Food and Rural Affairs alone in 2005-2006 was £538,180. What is interesting though is that nearly half of that money went to one single organisation.
The investment bank, Partnerships UK, which was set up by the Treasury specifically to deal with PFI received £239,363 of those funds. This may not sound a lot to some, but when you have a look at the Executive and Non-executive board of Partnership UK it looks a little bit questionable.
The Executive board is headed by James Stewart, who was recently criticised by the Taxpayers Alliance for the fact that he receives a city salary for doing a public sector job. Also on the board as the Deputy CEO is Michael Gerrard, former Director of Gordon Brown's Treasury Taskforce.
The Finance Director is David Goldstone, a member of Brown's Treasury Taskforce since 1997. Of the non-executive directors there are two Tresuary nominees, plus Sir Steve Robson, Gordon Brown's former Priavte Secretary.
I wonder how much more public money Partnerships UK receives for consultancy from all the other Departments? In the words of Johnny Rotten "ever feel like you've been cheated...?"
2 comments:
"According to figures released yestedray"
Dizzy, I expect that Gordon Brown is slightly "peeved" that the publication of these figures has been overshadowed by Tony Blair's headline grabbing news about Trident yesterday. But then again, maybe not............
Thank's for pointing out the typo. I imagine that the publication of the figures wasn't coincided with anything to be fair, they were in response to a PQ. Trident is such a boring story though, it was always going to go ahead.
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