Grant scandal: Ministry blocks the release of chat logs
Internal emails show eight figures spent so far as government refuses to disclose more
The Ministry of Giveaways has blocked the release of chat logs related to a £10m grant scandal.
Eight figures have been spent so far on the scheme, which was set up on [date]to help businesses affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
However, the Ministry has refused to disclose how the money was spent or who received it.
An internal email obtained by The Investigator shows that the Ministry has been spending £1m a week on the scheme.
The email also shows that the Ministry has been struggling to keep up with the demand for grants.
We are receiving hundreds of applications a day, the email says. We are doing our best to process them as quickly as possible.
The Ministry has been accused of a lack of transparency over the scheme.
The public has a right to know how their money is being spent, said a spokesperson for the TaxPayers’ Alliance.
The Ministry must release the chat logs so that we can see what is going on.
The Ministry has defended its decision to block the release of the chat logs.
We are committed to transparency, a spokesperson for the Ministry said. However, we must protect the confidentiality of our staff.
The Ministry said it would be releasing more information about the scheme in the coming weeks.
Kind regards E. Thompson.
