Civil service minister to examine use of consultants

Lord Agnew may need to tackle the government’s attitude towards senior civil servants

• Brexit drives government consultancy fees to £450m in three years

The new analysis of government invoices may well confirm the fears of Lord Agnew, the civil service minister who last week called for senior civil servants to stop “depriving our brightest [public servants] of opportunities to work on some of the most challenging, fulfilling and crunchy issues”.

A former businessman and Brexiter who joined the government in February, his eyes will fall on the stark figures showing that departments at the forefront of leaving the EU have become increasingly reliant on sharp-suited City specialists who can command up to £3,500 a day.

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