Cost of ministerial folders revealed as Chancellor launches spending crackdown

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport spent almost £1,200 on two ministerial folders (Ben Whitley/PA) - (PA Wire)

A Whitehall department spent almost £1,200 of taxpayers’ money on two ministerial folders, official figures showed as Chancellor Rachel Reeves launched a crackdown on government waste.

The folders, from luxury leather goods manufacturer Barrow Hepburn & Gale, cost £594 each.

The figures on spending by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) came as the Chancellor demanded ministries show how they can make savings of 5% on their budgets.

Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves and Chief Secretary to the Treasury Darren Jones have demanded savings from across Whitehall (Dan Kitwood/PA) (PA Wire)

The transactions were dated October 29 – the day before Ms Reeves’s first Budget – and details were revealed as the Chancellor set out the next phase of her spending review.

Asked if Sir Keir Starmer would consider the spending excessive, the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “It’s going to be up to departments to find this 5%, they’ll be able to look line-by-line, make sure every pound of government spending is being focused and delivering on the plan for change.

“It will be up to departments through the spending review process to identify those savings to help drive out waste and ensure that all funding is focused on the priorities that the Prime Minister set out in the plan for change.”

DCMS has been contacted for comment.