Taxpayers foot bill for paper overspend

TAXPAYERS are forking out up to seven times over the odds for office supplies, figures show.

Local councils, hospitals and universities are “not getting value for money” when it comes to basic items such as paper, according to figures provided under freedom of information requests.

The highest price paid by a local authority per ream (500 sheets) of standard office paper in 2016 was £4.39 by Stratford-on-avon.

Runnymede Council in Surrey, on the other hand, was able to buy some of its paper for just 75p per ream.

The highest price paid by an NHS trust was £4.65 by Portsmouth Hospitals, the lowest price paid was £1.40 by Colchester Hospital University. Similarly, in respect of higher education, Manchester University bought reams of paper for £4.40, while Oxford Brookes University found a supplier who charged them just £1.57 per ream. Craig Mackinlay, the Conservative MP who obtained the figures, said the prices being paid suggested many organisations were not getting the best deal.

He said: “Hard-pressed taxpayers will be more than a little concerned to learn that many public sector bodies are not getting value for money from suppliers when purchasing simple, everyday items such as paper.

“A simple internet search reveals availability for just one ream to the public at around £2. What other basic items are public bodies paying through the nose for?

“I call on the public sector to consider whether they can spend ... more wisely in the future.”

John O’connell, the chief executive of the Taxpayers’ Alliance, added: “Paying less for paper is not a case of cutting corners, but exercising common sense when using taxpayers’ money on office essentials.”