Over £8m spent on remote working kit for BOE staff
Bank of England (BoE) has been criticised for spending £8.5m on remote working kit for staff, according to official figures.
The data, obtained under the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act by the Parliament Street think tank revealed that Threadneedle Street has splashed out on a fleet of laptops, mobile phones and tablet computers for staff.
The findings shows that the BoE splashed £6,757,460.56 on 6,728 laptops, and £1,629,678.06 on 2,831 mobile phones, additionally £167,392.81 went on 237 tablet computers.
The bank’s governor, Andrew Bailey, has previously been accused of falling asleep during critical board meetings.
Patrick Sullivan, chairman of the Parliament Street think tank slammed the expenditure, saying: “It’s no surprise that inflation has surged out of control when senior officials are splashing millions on remote working during a cost-of-living crisis. Instead of embarking on this wild spending spree, the BoE should order layabout staff back into the office.”
But tech leaders defended the investment, with Dr Adeshola Cole, CEO of Tritek Consulting saying: “Flexibility is an important factor for staff and investing in devices is a good way for organisations like the Bank of England to remain productive, but improving digital skills is also key.”
