Revealed: How SNP Government spending on consultants has doubled to an eye-watering sum

Almost £160 million has been spent on consultants since 2018

The Scottish Government’s spending on consultancy firms has doubled over a five-year period, new figures show.

The amount spent on private consultants rocketed from £21 million in 2018/19 to £42 million in 2022/23.

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In total, almost £160 million has been spent by SNP ministers on consultants since 2018.

Tens of thousands of pounds was spent on consultants in relation to the deposit return schemeTens of thousands of pounds was spent on consultants in relation to the deposit return scheme
Tens of thousands of pounds was spent on consultants in relation to the deposit return scheme | PA

The information was released to the Scottish Conservatives following a freedom of information request.

Tens of thousands of pounds of consultancy fees were spent in relation to the doomed deposit return scheme, while almost £2 million was associated with the embattled plans for a National Care Service.

Scottish Tory deputy leader Rachael Hamilton said: "The SNP's spending on private consultants looks to be out of control. If there's a way to waste taxpayers' money, the SNP will manage it.

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"We know the SNP don't get much right on their own, but the solution isn't to throw more and more taxpayers' money at highly-paid consultants.

"The public will rightly question if spending £160 million on outside help is good value for taxpayers when that cash could have been used to improve public services or reduce taxes.

"Reckless use of taxpayers' money is driving the disconnect between the public and politicians. It's causing people to lose trust in politics and feel that the Scottish Parliament just doesn't get it.

"We're determined to do things differently and, going forward, we have committed to making sure that taxpayers' money is always spent effectively and efficiently."

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The Scottish Government recorded 1,238 separate transactions with private consultants in 2018/19, rising to 1,992 in 2022/23.

A total of £21.2 million was spent on consultants in 2018/19, increasing to £26.9 million the following year and £29 million in 2020/21. This rocketed to £39 million in 2021/22 and £42.2 million the following year.

Over the five-year period in question, there were 8,084 transactions at a cost of £158.6 million.

A Scottish Government spokesman said all spending is carefully considered to ensure value for money.

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He said: “The Scottish Government may undertake procurement of consultants if in-house resources are unavailable, or if specialist skills are needed. All spend is carefully considered to ensure value for money for the people of Scotland.”

Last month, SNP ministers were accused of “wasting millions on an increasingly bloated army of press officers” after it emerged the Government had spent £4.2 million on employing more than 50 communications staff in the past year.

"These millions do not even paint the full picture, given the SNP also shell out money on external companies to help try and spin them in a positive light,” Ms Hamilton said at the time.

Meanwhile, the size of its core staff has almost doubled over the last decade, from 5,120 in 2015 to 9,222 this year. The Government said “a range of factors, including significant new devolved responsibilities such as delivering new social security entitlements, and our response to the Covid-19 pandemic” were behind this increase. But the Tories said it contributed to the “growing black hole in the public finances”.

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