THE Government spent nearly £1 million outsourcing parts of the botched West Coast main line franchise to private contractors, a minister admitted.
Transport Minister Simon Burns revealed the Government spent £490,810 employing consultants WS Atkins to write the advert for bidders, as well as advising officials on bids.
Civil servants then spent £439,000 employing lawyers Eversheds to draw up the advert and advising which firm should win the franchise, he said. A third firm, project consultancy outfit Faithful and Gould, were used in the process.
His comments came after a parliamentary question from Shadow Transport Secretary Maria Eagle.
The collapse of the decision to award the deal to FirstGroup has already sparked two inquiries.
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