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Council credit cards 'used for luxury junkets' | Council credit cards 'used for luxury junkets' |
(40 minutes later) | |
Council staff have used taxpayer-funded credit cards to pay for top hotels and first-class flights, a newspaper says. | Council staff have used taxpayer-funded credit cards to pay for top hotels and first-class flights, a newspaper says. |
The Daily Telegraph said documents showed cards had been used to spend millions of pounds on hospitality, travel, iPads and even llamas. | The Daily Telegraph said documents showed cards had been used to spend millions of pounds on hospitality, travel, iPads and even llamas. |
Communities Secretary Eric Pickles told it: "Some councils have been enjoying the high life paid for by you and me." | Communities Secretary Eric Pickles told it: "Some councils have been enjoying the high life paid for by you and me." |
But local government groups said proper use of credit cards was "entirely appropriate" and could cut red tape. | But local government groups said proper use of credit cards was "entirely appropriate" and could cut red tape. |
Local Government Association (LGA) chairman Baroness Margaret Eaton said: "The use of credit cards for legitimate purposes is entirely appropriate and transparent. | Local Government Association (LGA) chairman Baroness Margaret Eaton said: "The use of credit cards for legitimate purposes is entirely appropriate and transparent. |
"It helps reduce red tape by removing the need to invoice businesses and helps the cash-flow of regular suppliers who receive more prompt payment. | "It helps reduce red tape by removing the need to invoice businesses and helps the cash-flow of regular suppliers who receive more prompt payment. |
"The £100m spent on council credit cards in the last three years represents less than 0.03% of the £350bn local authority budget over that time. | "The £100m spent on council credit cards in the last three years represents less than 0.03% of the £350bn local authority budget over that time. |
"Councils are the most transparent part of the public sector, publishing details of spending in excess of £500. We would like to see that matched in all central government departments which, with one exception, currently only publish spending in excess of £25,000." | "Councils are the most transparent part of the public sector, publishing details of spending in excess of £500. We would like to see that matched in all central government departments which, with one exception, currently only publish spending in excess of £25,000." |
Gucci bags | Gucci bags |
The Daily Telegraph said it had unearthed the information after making a number of requests under the Freedom of Information Act. | The Daily Telegraph said it had unearthed the information after making a number of requests under the Freedom of Information Act. |
It comes as councils are trying to cut their spending by 28% over the next four years. | It comes as councils are trying to cut their spending by 28% over the next four years. |
In addition to travel and hospitality, the paper said, some councils had bought luxury gifts, including Tiffany jewellery, Gucci bags and silk ties. | |
And it said Conservative-run Horsham Council in West Sussex had spent £1,150 on two llamas to graze on communal land. | |
The Telegraph said Cornwall Council's total credit card bill of £8.97m was the largest of any of the councils for which it had obtained details, and included £1,145,160 spent on hotels since 2008. | The Telegraph said Cornwall Council's total credit card bill of £8.97m was the largest of any of the councils for which it had obtained details, and included £1,145,160 spent on hotels since 2008. |
Cornwall Council officers had made trips to Goa in India, Bangkok in Thailand and Kyoto in Japan. | Cornwall Council officers had made trips to Goa in India, Bangkok in Thailand and Kyoto in Japan. |
In a statement, Conservative-led Cornwall Council said it was one of the largest local authorities in the country and its overall budget for the same three year period was more than £3.5bn. | |
The council said the figures quoted in the Daily Telegraph were still being checked but at least £1.3m of the costs for overseas travel and hotels were "wrong". | |
"One example of this is a figure of £114,142 for hotel costs in India for an educational exchange involving teachers from Cornish schools. This amount was actually in Indian rupees and would have been £1,645 in UK currency," the statement said. | |
Council leader Alec Robertson added: "Cornwall Council is committed to achieving the best possible value for money for council taxpayers in Cornwall. | |
"However, while we are committed to being open and transparent, this incident shows the importance of analysing raw data carefully and responsibly. | |
"We are disappointed that, having told the journalist that the information was inaccurate, they did not give us the time to provide them with the accurate information". | |
Cornwall's Liberal Democrat opposition leader Jeremy Rowe told the BBC: "At a time when Cornwall's lowest paid workers are having their pay frozen it is outrageous that the - often handsomely rewarded - people on the top floor at County Hall are lavishing vast sums on travel, hotels, home cinema systems and even £1,000 on 'pure silk ties'. | Cornwall's Liberal Democrat opposition leader Jeremy Rowe told the BBC: "At a time when Cornwall's lowest paid workers are having their pay frozen it is outrageous that the - often handsomely rewarded - people on the top floor at County Hall are lavishing vast sums on travel, hotels, home cinema systems and even £1,000 on 'pure silk ties'. |
"It really is time the Tories, instead of merely posturing about keeping council spending under control, decided to get a grip on this astounding level of expenses on the taxpayers' credit card." | "It really is time the Tories, instead of merely posturing about keeping council spending under control, decided to get a grip on this astounding level of expenses on the taxpayers' credit card." |
Communities Secretary Eric Pickles said: "Now that we are forcing councils to release details of their expenditure, the culture of wild overspends and excess which became the norm under Labour, will hopefully become a thing of the past." | |