The UK Government has signed a new round of Brexit contracts with outside consultants, totalling almost £160 million of taxpayers’ money.
Several are due to run until April 2020; that is, six months after the UK's new scheduled departure date from the EU at the end of October this year.
Following the 2016 vote, consultants were hired to carry out a number of tasks to prepare for Brexit.
In February, analysis found UK ministers had agreed consultancy contracts worth more than £100m; at the time, the civil servants’ union described the amount as “eye-watering".
The Cabinet Office has now published a new round of contracts with consultants.
Some nine firms awarded contracts last year such as Ernst & Young and Deloitte have had them extended for another year while another 11 have been given brand new contracts.
Documents show they are being paid between £3m and £6m each for such things as accounting and auditing work as well as computer and management services.
A Cabinet Office spokesman said: "As a responsible government we have, and will continue to, draw on the expert advice of a range of specialists to deliver a successful and orderly exit from the EU."
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