Ministers' costs rise by 20%

NEARLY 400 EXTRA ADVISORS PUSH UP BUDGET FOR ANOTHER SECTION OF GOVERNMENT. MINISTERS have employed nearly 400 extra staff, pushing their budget up by 20% according to an investigation by Le

Monde newspaper After auditors criticised rises in the presidential budget and the National Assembly the newspaper launched its enquiry. Prime Minister François Fillon has issued a memo to

the cabinet asking that ministers limit themselves to 20 advisors, while a secretary of state can have no more than four. (In the French system of government a secretary of state is a junior

minister, usually in charge of one narrow area). Certain ministers have heeded the demand, among them Eric Woerth (budget), Brice Hortefeux (immigration), Rachida Dati (justice), Christine

Boutin (housing) and Christine Albanel (culture). Others such as Trade and Industry minister Christine Lagarde, who recruited a further 21 people to her staff this year bringing the total to

66, were not keen to fall in line. Additional expenses have also risen 20% to €5million. A spokesman for the Prime Minister's office at Matignon contested the figures. The spokesman

said the number of people employed by ministers was 596, compared to the 650 employed by members of the de Villepin government. They added that the scope of the figures included the first

eight months of Fillon's government and would thus include all new staff employed. Photo: The PM residence at Matignon. Frédéric de Goldschmidt www.frederic.net