Energy Ministers have come under attack after spending tens of thousands of pounds on lavish away days to private members clubs, hotels and football grounds – and even going on one away day to plan another away day.
MP
Luciana Berger, Labour’s Shadow
Climate Change Minister, has criticised the
Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) chiefs for spending over £70,000 to pay for 1,800 civil servants to attend 42 of the so-called team and group away days.
One bill of over £1,286.40 was for meeting space less than two miles from DECC's Whitehall offices.
And on October 4 last year, civil servants paid £747 to hire the Institute for Government in Carlton Gardens to plan a second outing three days later.
Berger said: "It’s staggering that the same out of touch ministers who are putting thousands of people in the solar industry out of work are shelling out for lavish away days.
"Ministers need to explain why DECC is spending thousands of pounds of taxpayers’ money paying for private members clubs, premiership football stadiums and lavish hotels. There was even an away day to plan for another away day. It shows David Cameron’s claim to wage a war on waste was pure fiction.
"If this level of spending has been replicated across Government the bill could be well over a million pounds. David Cameron should come clean and publish the details of every department’s away days."
And Matthew Elliott, chief executive of the TaxPayers’ Alliance added: "It's beggars belief that Whitehall bureaucrats have blown so much money on corporate away days when they should be focused on saving taxpayers' money.
"Taxpayers already fork out for swanky offices at the Department for Energy and Climate Change, the mandarins there should use those for staff training instead of running up huge bills at football stadiums and luxury hotels."
In a statement, Energy Minister Greg Barker defended the spending and added: "Away days are an
investment by teams in planning, improving performance or enhancing
skills and business relationships. The change of environment and the time spent together without distractions allows teams to focus on their challenges."
But David Hunt, a director with Eco Environments, said: "It is staggering to hear how Energy Secretary Chris Huhne and his department are happy to blow £72,000 on away-days at a time when the solar industry is in crisis because of his department’s
policies. One meeting was even to plan for another away-day!
"It is simply the latest example of the breathtaking arrogance shown by Mr Huhne and his Ministers who seem to be oblivious not only to the opinions of the
renewable energy industry but also to those of the wider general public who are struggling to make ends meet.
"How can the Department of Energy and Climate Change justify this level of expenditure at a time when the nation is being told to tighten its belts and businesses are facing a daily fight for survival.
"We also know that the 42 so called 'performance improving’ and 'skill enhancing days’ funded by the taxpayer were a complete waste of time given that the department’s performance has, if anything, gone backwards and the solar industry has certainly never seen any evidence of skill!
"That is unless acting illegally, losing legal cases and racking up £66,000 of legal bills demonstrates skill."
Details of the away day bill of £72,801 were released today by Greg Barker in response to a written question by Luciana Berger.
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