CIVIL Service mandarins splashed out £33,000 of taxpayer cash on a staff retreat at a luxury country house, The Sun can reveal.
Thirty senior public sector chiefs spent four days at the historic Hartwell House in Buckinghamshire that boasts a pool, spa and tennis courts.
But the Cabinet Office tried to insist the public should be grateful that the £33,168.45 lavish leadership jaunt was not even more expensive.
The taxpayer-funded gathering at the four-star manor took place between April 28 and May 1, with the bill covering overnight stays, meals and teaching sessions.
Pictures posted online by an events production company show attendees gathered inside the stately home, with large screens and professional sound equipment set up.
The grand mansion is set in 90 acres of parkland and boasts a swanky restaurant with a 20-page list.
Shadow Cabinet Office Minister Mike Wood blasted: “At a time when families are tightening their belts in the face of rising prices and rising taxes, £33,000 is an absurd amount to waste on a big day out for officials at a stately home.
“Labour said they would ban taxpayer-funded away days. Clearly the Cabinet Office didn’t get the memo.”
The event formed part of the Government’s 12-month Public Leaders Programme, designed to improve the leadership skills of chief executive-level bosses running major public sector organisations.
Officials insisted the training was delivered in-house to avoid splashing out on expensive consultants.
They also claimed the course cost 30 per cent less than a comparable private sector programme.
The Cabinet Office said Hartwell House was chosen after a review of suitable venues, including government-owned buildings.
A Government spokesperson said: “This was a course delivered in-house as a part of reducing spend on consultancies, providing better value for for the taxpayer.
“External venues are permitted only in exceptional circumstances such as these, and teams must show how using them delivers value for money and advances public priorities.”
