WHITEHALL FESTIVE SPENDING REVEALED

More than £125,000 of taxpayers' cash has been used for cards, parties and decorations in Whitehall this year alone.

The spending figures were compiled by the Tories from ministerial replies which show at least £461,203 has been spent to mark Yuletide since 2002.

The total amount is likely to be even higher as several departments have not provided figures.

Among those that have revealed their spending on Christmas parties, cards and decorations, the Northern Ireland Office ran up the biggest bill - £97,129.

It was followed by the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, which spent £88,342 and the Department for Transport, costing the public £87,785.

Departments which failed to disclose how much they had spent included the Treasury - Gordon Brown's fiefdom until June - the Home Office and the Department for Children, Schools and Families.

Across Whitehall, spending on Christmas 2007 alone has been at least £127,003.

Philip Hammond, the shadow chief secretary to the Treasury, who collated the data, said: "Many thousands of hard-pressed families who are struggling to make ends meet this Christmas will be angered to read these figures.

"At a time when everyone else has to tighten their belts, it would be good to see Government departments setting an example."