Fury as civil servants declare hundreds in bills to go to personal workplaces – ‘absurd’ | Politics | News | EUROtoday

The Government is below strain to ban bills for civil servants visiting their very own departments. It comes as new figures present senior civil servants moved out of London workplaces as a part of cost-cutting measures are claiming hundreds of kilos in journey bills for conferences at their headquarters within the capital, moderately than becoming a member of just about from their regional workplaces.

More than 23,000 civil service jobs have reportedly been moved out of London since 2020, with workers now working in so-called satellite tv for pc workplaces in additional inexpensive areas throughout the nation. A Government spokesman insisted paying for the bills is considerably cheaper than retaining the expensive London workplaces. However, each the Conservatives and Reform UK have criticised the spending.

Alex Burghart MP, Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, instructed The Telegraph it’s “utterly absurd”.

Danny Kruger MP, Reform UK’s head of making ready for presidency division, added: “This is a slap in the face to every hard-working taxpayer forced to commute at their own expense just to pay for privileged civil servants with gold-plated pensions.”

Government figures present officers billed a complete of £139,719.97 in journey bills, meals and lodging for in a single day stays in simply three months.

The Ministry of Justice noticed the very best invoice, with £42,498.98 bills claimed between October and December final 12 months, The Telegraph reported.

One senior Department for Transport civil servant claimed £7,019.58 for 9 journeys to a London workplace — together with in a single day stays and meals — a mean of £779.95 per journey.

The TaxPayers’ Alliance has known as on the Government to ban the apply and make senior workers based mostly exterior of the capital be part of by way of video hyperlink. There is reportedly no single coverage regulating what civil servants could make bills declare for.

A Government spokesman stated: “Officials cannot claim travel expenses for commuting to their office – only for official travel to other locations. The cost of official travel is tiny to the £94m we are saving by closing 11 London office buildings.

“A third of senior civil servants are now based in government offices outside of London, in the communities they serve. These expenses reflect routine travel for them to deliver their roles and responsibilities.”