THE Vale council have been called into question over spending nearly £70,000 annually on staff mobile phones.

The Conservative group in the Vale discovered through a Freedom of Information request that the Vale of Glamorgan council pays for more than 1000 employees to have mobile phones for work usage at a cost to the taxpayer of around £68,500 a year.

The spending has been challenged by local Conservatives who have questioned its value for money. The Vale council have said that the mobile phones are essential in allowing frontline staff to do their jobs.

A spokesperson for the Conservatives in the Vale Council said that in light of the difficult financial circumstances faced by the council, something like staff mobile phones could be considered an area where cuts should be made.

“It would be sensible for the Labour-led administration to look at reducing non-essential expenditure on things like staff mobile phones," said a Conservative group spokesman.

“This is a significant sum of public money and you have to ask whether a thousand or more mobile phones are really necessary.”

Regional AM, Andrew RT Davies, added: "The Labour-led council is currently considering a range of cost-cutting measures that will affect service provision throughout the Vale.

"Only last week we saw Rhoose residents gathering to protest against cuts to their library services and I have received correspondence from a wide range of constituents who are concerned about council spending in these austere times.

“Money is tight and residents will be within their rights to question whether this level of spending is a top priority.”

David Vining, Head of Strategic ICT at the Vale of Glamorgan council said that not only were the mobile phones essential but also that the contracts were an example of how the council have actually reduced expenditure.

“Mobile phones are essential for frontline staff to do their jobs and mobile working enables many council officers to work more efficiently," he said.

"The council’s mobile phone contract is an example of how the Vale Council has significantly reduced costs through more effective procurement.

"The Council currently has a mobile phone contract with O2 that was procured through a Government Procurement Services framework agreement.

"This contract came into effect in 2012/13 and has reduced expenditure on staff mobile phones by over £120,000 since then.

"Under the terms of current contract the council spends less than £3 per month to service each handset.”