The Spirit of the season?

Paul Waugh, in his blog for the Evening Standard today, reports the discovery made by a colleague from a written answer by Health Minister Phil Hope.

Just five days after the PBR statement, and when most people not in the Labour government were warning of the parlous state of the public finances and the need for cuts, the Department of Health has excelled itself.

It has erected a Christmas tree at Skipton House, not any old tree mind you, but a tree costing £2,485. It is dressed, however!

This tree is not on public view, but merely there to cheer the 905 DoH staff who work in the building.

Wouldn't they be cheered by a smaller one? Is it that they they accept that there will be savings, and this is a last splurge before belt tightening?

There is obviously a great deal of waste in government, if this is anything to go by.