MSD paying more for consultants - National

Ministry of Social Development spending on consultants has grown despite big increases in the number of permanent staff, National Party family spokeswoman Judith Collins says.

Ms Collins today highlighted figures from the department's annual financial review which showed it spent almost $40 million on consultants in the three years to June 30, 2006.

The department spent about $5 million in 2003-2004 and about $17 million in each of the two years after that.

Ms Collins said the spending came despite big increases in the number of inhouse staff during the period.

She said the number of policy staff had grown from 126 to 320 and the number of communications staff from 23 to 54 over the past six years.

Ms Collins said the high spending on consultants came despite Prime Minister Helen Clark's pre-government promises to clamp down on such spending.

- NZPA