London councils have a ‘sustained reliance’ on private firms as report shows £500m spend

Exclusive: Research prompts warning that authorities rely on companies to carry out basic functions

The scale of the reliance of London councils on private consultancy and outsourcing firms is laid bare in a report that shows the local authorities paid them more than half a billion pounds last year.

The report by the Autonomy Institute and the CADA Network has prompted warnings that councils have a sustained reliance" on such companies to carry out basic functions.