Mandarins baulked at spending spree

The protest took the form of requests from the permanent secretaries who head Whitehall departments for "letters of direction" from Ministers ordering them to authorise the spending, said the First Division Association union (FDA), which represents top mandarins.

The letters make clear the decision to spend the money came not from officials but from their political masters. Permanent secretaries require them because their position makes them responsible for vouching for the propriety, regularity and

value for money of its

activities.

No details have yet emerged of the projects which caused concern in Whitehall, but reports have suggested they involved defence contracts, consultancies and procurement decisions.

Ministers in the new coalition Government have claimed the Labour administration indulged in a spending spree ahead of the General Election, leaving "black holes" in their budgets at a time of extreme financial constraints.

Chief Secretary to the Treasury David Laws told reporters: "I think we're very concerned indeed that over the last few months of this government there were a lot of spending commitments that were made and some of those may not represent good value for money."

Labour's former Ministers have dismissed the allegations as an attempt to pile blame for future spending cuts on to them.