Part of Opposition Day – in the House of Commons at 7:39 pm on 18 January 2000.
When the Prime Minister appointed 53 advisers, which was a substantial increase on the 38 posts that existed when he came to power, he said that although there would be more advisers, the total salary bill would be kept under the same cost umbrella of £1.8 million that he had inherited from the previous Government. Why has the salary bill now reached £4 million?