Thursday, 5 March 2009

Home Office Spend Hundreds Of Millions On Outside Expertise


In a Commons written answer, Immigration Minister Phil Woolas, recently awarded a coveted "Hoon Of The Day" on this very blog, said the firms provided skills and expertise not available within the department.

Mr Custard Pie Woolas said: "The Home Department engages consultancy firms to support and augment civil servants in the delivery of a wide range of work, including large shIT development programmes and, where most cost effective, longer term service delivery programs.

"The Department's expenditure on these services is consequently allocated across a wide range of firms, from small, specialist companies with niche expertise and few employees to global multinational organisations offering a broad spectrum and substantial depth of consultancy expertise. The use of external consultants provides the Department with specialist knowledge, skill, capacity and technical expertise that would not otherwise be available. This includes typing, filing, keeping the stationary cupboard tidy, making tea and coffee for ministers, approving expense claims, and looking after the Petty Cash Tin. "

Jacqui Smith was not available, she had an urgent bed making chore at her lodgings.

The Penguin

9 comments:

Sue said...

Where is Jacqui? She seems to have disappeared of late!

Anonymous said...

Why have you got a picture of Frankie Howerd wearing earings when the article is about Jackie Von Spliff.

Hacked Off said...

Southampton Docks trying to earn enough in case she has to do a Trend and pay back the hundreds of thousands she mis-claimed...

Anonymous said...

Two Weeks.

Twoo Weeeeeks.


I wonder just how much of this outside expertise was:
a) From firms Labour are chummy with - eg Crapita and Accenture.
b) Former insiders given golden parachutes and lucrative consultancy work.

The latter is rife in County Councils, Primary Care Trusts and Quangos. Upper management types are encouraged to leave via large payoffs. Their replacement (or replacements!) are brought in. Former one is brought back into the taxpayer fold as a 'consultant' doing bugger all with even less responsibility or accountability. It has cultivated a them and us. A management breed devoid of honour and talent but getting handsome pay from our pockets.

Oldrightie said...

This is all part of their gerrymandering and fraudulent mis-use of tax payers' money. Still, since there is not one intelligent being in the whole Government why are we surprised?

Anonymous said...

Gareth you left out SERCO another useless bunch of wankers sucking on the ZaNu teat.

Anonymous said...

Mr Ranting Penguin! I really must protest. There I was, after a light but tasty meal, at peace with the world, checking through my favourite blogs when I see the stomach churning sight of a close up of our Second Home Secretary staring me in the face, every little zit, every superfluous facial hair tendered in glorious technicolour - I do hope you'll at least pay the bill to get my carpet cleaned - the dogs ate the lumpy bits but there's still a very nasty stain... Still, it does look as though the Second Home Secretary takes Loony Brown's directive on plastic bags seriously - she looks like she's got at least a weeks shopping from Sainsburys in hers.

Anonymous said...

"to global multinational organisations offering a broad spectrum and substantial depth of consultancy expertise."

This, presumably, enables HM Govt to make World Class cock-ups, rather than just ordinary ones...

Anonymous said...

Mr Anonymous here! There is indeed a very nasty stain on the carpet, Mr Penguin. I say though, what a superb 'tache that woman's got. Reminds me of the Brigadiar's all those years ago when I did my National Service.