The leaked report (revealed on the BBC Newsnight programme) followed up the earlier story of the CEO of the Students Loan Company being engaged via a personal service company which prompted the government to undertake a review. It is important to appreciate that the figure of 2 000 only relates to individuals engaged via personal service companies who have earned in excess of £220 per day (in line with the amount paid to senior civil servants) and worked in excess of six months. We understand that the report does not cover all government departments with some still to provide their data.
This clearly follows the lead from the Chair of the Public Accounts Committee (Margaret Hodge MP) who said that the engagement of individuals on other than a purely casual basis and in...