It was inevitable, after the MP's expenses scandal, that further attention would be given to other parts of the public sector & the Telegraph has picked up another area of expenditure in Local Government, that of Procurement Cards.Aside from my own authority being remarkably low, it would be interesting to understand what these cards are for - in principle corporate purchasing cards can be an extremely efficient way of controlling costs & make certain purchases of goods & services very simple, provided the system is not abused of course.But if there has been inappropriate or wasteful spending then it will be exposed.There is a time old test for public expenditure - it's the Clapham Omnibus test - if you can justify an item of expenditure to the public then it is usually going to be acceptable, but where do long service awards sit?If I had just completed 25 or 30 years service for a local authority I might be a tad insulted by the gift of an Argos carriage clock. But the Council who bought gifts from Tiffany do in the harsh light of day & in print look a little foolish. Where is the line?When it comes to 1st class air travel I have no time for any public sector organisation wasting my taxes in that way, but when it comes to trains it can often be cheaper to buy an advance 1st class ticket than a standard return - I do it occasionally because it saves money & I am able to work more effectively.I fear though that the spotlight on local government may not be reflected elsewhere in government because most departments have refused to publish items of expenditure in quite the same way as CLG have.
