Ron Beadle condemns Government's waste on 'empty offices'

6.00.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Thu 6th Sep 2007

Ron Beadle, Liberal Democract Spokesman for Newcaslt North

A senior Liberal Democrat has condemned the waste of over £100,000 on empty offices last year by the Government's Identity and Passport Service. The figure was revealed following a Freedom of Information Request about 'Fruitless Payments' reported in the Identity and Passport service's accounts.

Ron Beadle, Lib Dem Spokesman for Newcastle North said:

'The Identity and Passport Service's accounts show that they wasted nearly £1million of taxpayers' money last year on rent and management of empty office space, and we have now learned that more than £100,000 of it is here in Newcastle. The Lib Dems have always said that ID cards would create a hugely wasteful bureaucracy and this shows that we were right. Rather than wasting money on ID cards the Government should be spending it on extra policing for our streets.'