Taxpayers foot £170k TVs bill

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Biggest spender was Lord Mandelson's Business Department and its agencies, which spent a combined £87,000, followed by the Treasury, which spent £76,600.

Eleven Government departments which responded to parliamentary questions from the Conservatives listed spending totalling £170,030 on flat-screen TVs, £31,860 on DVD players and £35,151 on stereo equipment.

But the total figure is certain to be higher, as some departments - including the Prime Minister's Office - did not reply.

Conservative Treasury spokesman Philip Hammond said: "The news that taxpayers' money is being used to buy tens of thousands of pounds worth of hi-tech TVs will come as a shock to families struggling to make ends meet this Christmas.

"It's yet more evidence of Gordon Brown's casual attitude to taxpayers' money - and it gives people a pretty good idea of where this Government's priorities really lie."