Taxpayer fury at £7million Olympics 'junket' for 640 public servants

The Government is under fire today over the number of public servants travelling to the Beijing Olympics - at a reported total cost of £7 million - amid accusations that the event is being treated as a junket.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown, who is flying out to attend the closing ceremony, will be accompanied by 20 aides at a cost of £114,000, it is reported.

Many bodies involved in organising the 2012 London games are sending representatives, with the capital's Tory mayor Boris Johnson taking 13 staff at a reported cost of £167,000, while the London Development Agency has spent £3 million to hire out a private members' club in Beijing for the duration of the Games.

Olympics Minister Tessa Jowell, Culture Secretary Andy Burnham, Sport Minister Gerry Sutcliffe and 10 officials from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport will attend the Games at a £75,000 cost.

Another 11 Whitehall ministers and officials will be going to China, the newspaper said.

In total, 639 people at a cost of £6,846,700 will attend - most of them BBC staff involved in coverage of the games.

Revealing the figures today, the Daily Telegraph reported that the BBC was spending £3 million and taking 437 staff to China.

Liberal Democrat culture spokesman Don Foster said: 'While appreciating the importance of the UK being represented in Beijing, questions have to be asked if this many people are necessary.

'I'm staggered by the amount of money some departments are spending on sending their staff.

'It almost looks as if some public officials have been dreaming up excuses to go on a junket.

'The Olympics are an incredible spectacle, but taxpayers' money shouldn't be used merely to enable officials to be there unless they can justify the benefit to the British people of their going.'

A Downing Street spokesman said the Prime Minister's staff had 'worked hard to ensure that the appropriate number of staff accompany him' on the visit.