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Westminster City Council’s Finance Scrutiny Committee is to launch an inquiry into Councillors’ allowances, Staff bonuses, and money spent on press and communications.

Last year Senior Staff bonuses totalled £5.8 million and the Council spent £3.2 million on press and communications. The inquiries will be held at the 22nd September meeting of the Committee.

The revelation that the Council spent £5.8 million on bonuses to senior staff (up from £5.1 million the previous year) had shocked many residents, as had the the news that the Council spends over £230,000 a year on private health insurance for senior staff. Labour councilors say that there also needs to be a searching look into the £3.2 million a year spent on press oficers, glossy magazines and public relations events at a time when the Council is in a financial crisis following the £17 million investment in now-failed Icelandic Banks and is sacking over 300 staff.

Councillor Paul Dimoldenberg, Leader of the Labour Group, said: “We are delighted that the Finance Scrutiny Committee has agreed to these three inquiries. We hope that the Committee will seek evidence from as wide a field of interests as possible so that local residents and groups have the opportunity to have their say.”