By . Tim Shipman . PUBLISHED: . 17:37 EST, 15 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 18:34 EST, 15 August 2013 . Charity Commission staff are being accused of squandering nearly £40,000 of public money at five-star hotels around the globe. The watchdog, which received £22million of taxpayer cash this year, recently criticised wasteful spending by UK charities. But details of its spending on corporate credit cards, released under Freedom of Information laws, reveals that the Commission has racked up bills of more than £38,000 in less than two years at exclusive hotels. Luxurious: In May last year one staff member spent £430.75 on a room at the Kempinski Nile hotel in Cairo, which bills itself as a 'five-star boutique hotel' Most of the costs were run up by a four-strong team that works for the Commission’s International Programme, which advises other countries how to run their own charity and NGO sectors. In a two-day spell in January this year, six credit card bills totalled £3,236.76 at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in the Qatari capital, Doha. The five-star hotel, one of the most expensive in the Middle East, advertises itself as the ‘very definition of an opulent Middle Eastern paradise’. It features eight ‘exceptional’  restaurants, two swimming pools and a marina. In March this year, Commission staff ran up bills in excess of £11,000, including stays in Dubai, Vienna, New York and Ottawa. Spending: In a two-day spell in January this year, six credit card bills totalled £3,236.76 at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in the Qatari capital, Doha . In March 2012 staff paid £2,017.32 at the Safari Park hotel and casino in Nairobi, Kenya, where they were attending a UN meeting funded by the Foreign Office. In May last year one staff member spent £430.75 on a room at the Kempinski Nile hotel in Cairo, which bills itself as a ‘five-star boutique hotel’. In September 2012, one member of the Commission was at the five-star Hotel Borobudur in the Indonesia capital Jakarta, with eight restaurants and 23 acres of tropical gardens. Staff have stayed at the Sheraton in the Saudi city of Jeddah, which advertises ‘breathtaking views of the Red Sea’. The documents also reveal that staff claimed expenses to dine at expensive eateries such as Westminster’s upscale Indian restaurant Cinnamon Club, where main courses can cost more than £30, and the Tabard Inn, a boutique restaurant in Washington DC. Commission staff made undisclosed purchases on expenses at a range of retailers including Amazon, Tesco, Boots and Marks & Spencer. The credit card spending detailed in the papers covers the period between October 2011, when Dame Suzi Leather was chairman of the commission, to the end of March this year under new chairman William Shawcross and £135,000-a-year chief executive Sam Younger. Last week, when it emerged that at least 30 charity chiefs are paid in excess of £100,000, Mr Shawcross said that ‘in these difficult times’ charities ‘should consider whether very high salaries are really appropriate, and fair to both the donors and the taxpayers who  fund charities’. Length of time: The spending detailed covers from October 2011, when Dame Suzi Leather was chairman, to the end of March 2013 under new chairman William Shawcross (left) and chief executive Sam Younger (right) Tory MP Priti Patel said: ‘This is a case of rank hypocrisy and double standards. It is outrageous that the Charity Commission is running up these kind of costs in such luxury accommodation when it is public money. It is shocking. 'This is a case of rank hypocrisy and double standards' Priti Patel, Tory MP . ‘The leadership of the Charity Commission really has to control the way it spends taxpayers’ money.’ A spokesman for the watchdog said: ‘The Commission is committed to minimising staff expenses to reduce public expenditure. 'All staff are aware of their responsibilities in this respect and we are transparent about expenditure by all staff, including our board and chief executive whose expenses are published on our website. ‘Commission staff do have to travel on business and it is right that when they do they have a subsistence allowance and that they are reimbursed for out-of-pocket expenses in accordance with government policy.’
Charity Commission recently criticised wasteful spending by charities .
Most of costs run up by four-strong team for International Programme .
Six credit card bills  totalled £3,236.76 at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Doha .
Staff paid £2,017.32 at Safari Park hotel and casino in Nairobi, Kenya .
By . Tim Shipman . PUBLISHED: . 17:37 EST, 15 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 18:34 EST, 15 August 2013 . Charity Commission staff are being accused of squandering nearly £40,000 of public money at five-star hotels around the globe. The watchdog, which received £22million of taxpayer cash this year, recently criticised wasteful spending by UK charities. But details of its spending on corporate credit cards, released under Freedom of Information laws, reveals that the Commission has racked up bills of more than £38,000 in less than two years at exclusive hotels. Luxurious: In May last year one staff member spent £430.75 on a room at the Kempinski Nile hotel in Cairo, which bills itself as a 'five-star boutique hotel' Most of the costs were run up by a four-strong team that works for the Commission’s International Programme, which advises other countries how to run their own charity and NGO sectors. In a two-day spell in January this year, six credit card bills totalled £3,236.76 at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in the Qatari capital, Doha. The five-star hotel, one of the most expensive in the Middle East, advertises itself as the ‘very definition of an opulent Middle Eastern paradise’. It features eight ‘exceptional’  restaurants, two swimming pools and a marina. In March this year, Commission staff ran up bills in excess of £11,000, including stays in Dubai, Vienna, New York and Ottawa. Spending: In a two-day spell in January this year, six credit card bills totalled £3,236.76 at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in the Qatari capital, Doha . In March 2012 staff paid £2,017.32 at the Safari Park hotel and casino in Nairobi, Kenya, where they were attending a UN meeting funded by the Foreign Office. In May last year one staff member spent £430.75 on a room at the Kempinski Nile hotel in Cairo, which bills itself as a ‘five-star boutique hotel’. In September 2012, one member of the Commission was at the five-star Hotel Borobudur in the Indonesia capital Jakarta, with eight restaurants and 23 acres of tropical gardens. Staff have stayed at the Sheraton in the Saudi city of Jeddah, which advertises ‘breathtaking views of the Red Sea’. The documents also reveal that staff claimed expenses to dine at expensive eateries such as Westminster’s upscale Indian restaurant Cinnamon Club, where main courses can cost more than £30, and the Tabard Inn, a boutique restaurant in Washington DC. Commission staff made undisclosed purchases on expenses at a range of retailers including Amazon, Tesco, Boots and Marks & Spencer. The credit card spending detailed in the papers covers the period between October 2011, when Dame Suzi Leather was chairman of the commission, to the end of March this year under new chairman William Shawcross and £135,000-a-year chief executive Sam Younger. Last week, when it emerged that at least 30 charity chiefs are paid in excess of £100,000, Mr Shawcross said that ‘in these difficult times’ charities ‘should consider whether very high salaries are really appropriate, and fair to both the donors and the taxpayers who  fund charities’. Length of time: The spending detailed covers from October 2011, when Dame Suzi Leather was chairman, to the end of March 2013 under new chairman William Shawcross (left) and chief executive Sam Younger (right) Tory MP Priti Patel said: ‘This is a case of rank hypocrisy and double standards. It is outrageous that the Charity Commission is running up these kind of costs in such luxury accommodation when it is public money. It is shocking. 'This is a case of rank hypocrisy and double standards' Priti Patel, Tory MP . ‘The leadership of the Charity Commission really has to control the way it spends taxpayers’ money.’ A spokesman for the watchdog said: ‘The Commission is committed to minimising staff expenses to reduce public expenditure. 'All staff are aware of their responsibilities in this respect and we are transparent about expenditure by all staff, including our board and chief executive whose expenses are published on our website. ‘Commission staff do have to travel on business and it is right that when they do they have a subsistence allowance and that they are reimbursed for out-of-pocket expenses in accordance with government policy.’
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