Alex Salmond has been told to 'tighten his belt' after his administration splashed an extra £10million on 'stationery and hospitality'.

Plans to increase spending on Government administration today came under fire from Labour.

Documents released alongside the 2009/10 Budget Bill last week show a rise in staff spending of more than £15 million.

There are also proposed increases in travel, transport, stationery and hospitality of more than £10 million.

It comes at a time when the SNP government is looking for 2% efficiency savings across the public sector.

The Nationalist administration was today branded "out of touch" over the figures.

The central administration budget is rising 11% in 2009-10 to £273 million.

Within this, spending on "other office overheads", which includes "travel, transport, stationery, hospitality" and IT projects, jumps 32% to £42.4 million. Government staff costs rise 9% to £193.8 million.

Labour's finance spokesman Andy Kerr said: "Alex Salmond has got a very poor track record when it come to tightening his own belt.

"He failed to make the efficiency cuts imposed on everyone else and now as everyone in Scotland is expected to tighten their belts his just gets bigger.

"This huge expansion in government spending on red tape and administration could not come at a worse time and shows how out of touch the SNP are to hard-working Scots."