Reeves vows to halve consultancy bill, but government can't track spending

Parliament Street and Whitehall.Photo by Mike Kemp/In Pictures via Getty Images

Despite the government setting an ambitious target to halve overall spending on consultants, a new report suggests, the lack of consistent data hinders efforts to track progress toward spending targets.

Rachel Reeves has set targets to halve the UK government’s overall spending on consultants in 2025-26 and to save £550m in 2024-25, aiming for £700m in savings by 2028-29.

HM Treasury estimated that central government spending on consultants in 2022-23 was approximately £1.36bn, but other sources suggest the figure could be significantly higher.

In October 2024, the Treasury said it expected to deliver the £550m in-year savings target based on its forecast figures and planned departmental expenditure.

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