Oh the irony, in the wake of the expenses scandal, of an MP commenting about consultants 鈥渃reaming off cash鈥� (14 May, ).

Mr Gove, look more closely and you will find that the industry has invested heavily in this sector, more often than not taking on work on an 鈥渁t risk鈥� basis and in any event at the low margins needed to achieve local authority affordability envelopes.

I wonder how many architects he seems so willing to criticise have specified, on schools projects, products from the upmarket furniture store Oka at which he happily spent thousands of pounds of taxpayers鈥� money, before then 鈥渇lipping鈥� his house to avoid paying capital gains tax.

Chris, building.co.uk