SIC’s half a million consultants’ bill

SHETLAND Islands Council spent almost half a million pounds on private consultants last year, it has emerged.

A Freedom of Information request by public workers union Unison revealed that Scottish local authorities paid more than £42 million to consultants in 2008/09, with the SIC’s bill coming in at £462,000.

Union bosses said last night that significant savings could be made in local authorities consultants’ budgets at a time of tough financial decisions.

Unison’s Scottish organiser Dave Watson said the union had identified savings of more than £40 million nationwide.

“Rather than concentrating on cutting services, politicians and the media might profitably look more closely at cutting the use of private consultants in local councils if there is a need to save money.

“Unison has published an alternative budget at UK level that highlights much waste that could be saved including by ending central government use of consultants, and this waste could also be cut in Scotland.”

A spokesman for Shetland Islands Council said they needed more time to specify how many different consultants had been employed on how many projects during 2008/09.

“Generally the rule is that consultants are only employed where the council does not employ staff with the necessary skills, often in technically specific areas,” he said.

“The budget report which was at the council on 17 February included a figure of £1 million savings to be delivered through more effective procurement. This covers all goods and services, including consultants.”