article_snippet.sent: Spending on consultants has doubled to £1.4billion over the past four years and now makes up more than ten per cent of all foreign aid spending, an investigation revealed.
article_snippet.sent: The revelations will return attention to Britain growing aid budget, which now accounts for some £12 billion of public spending a year.
article_snippet.sent: The Coalition government committed to spending 0.7 per cent of national income on foreign aid – and even passed legislation to enshrine the target into law.
article_snippet.sent: the target means that aid spending will increase every year if the economy grows, even if other areas of government spending face swingeing cuts.
article_snippet.sent: But in June that year officials realised year officials would have to spend another £2.7billion in November and December to hit the government target.
article_snippet.sent: Months later that target was revised up again by another £1billion over those two months, taking the total to £3.7billion.
highlights_snippet.sent: Spending on consultants doubled to £1.4billion over the past four years .
  