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The Guardian - AU

World

Simon Rogers and Ben Quinn

City of London spending and income: where does the money come from, and where does it go?

What do you know about the City of London? What does it spend its money on and where does it come from?

The authority is in the news as focus shifts to its role in trying to remove the protesters in front of St Paul's Cathedral. It's an odd, 800-year-old body where businesses vote for councillors as well as residents. But it is also a major economic driver, contributing 2.4% to the national income.

Getting hold of the details of what the City spends and receives is not straightforward - it is not like other local authorities.

Firstly, it's a lot smaller. The City only has a 'night-time' resident population of 11,500 - during the working day, it swells to around 316,700.

You can get this digest, which shows exactly how it compares to other local authorities - although I'm not sure how useful it is to compare such a small population to Camden's 202,000 or Lambeth's 337,000 people.

Three funds are associated with the City of London Corporation.

One, the City Fund, goes toward the cost of the City of London's local authority, police authority and port health authority activities. It generates rental and interest income, and like other local authorities, receives grants from central government,

Another fund, the City Bridge Trust, is administered by the City of London to maintain five bridges which cross the Thames into the Square Mile. It is also used for charitable purposes in the greater London area.

A third fund, the so-called 'City's Cash', is a private fund built up over eight centuries. According to the City of London website

it derives its income mainly from property, supplemented by investment earnings

However, while critics of the City of London, such as Nicholas Shaxson, have noted that the total holdings of the City's Cash are around £1bn, they stress that a lack of a detailed breakdown prevents members of the public from determining what exactly it consists. Furthermore, while some details of its income and expenditure are available, Shaxson and others have called for a more detail breakdown. "Has it ever funded free market think-tanks, for example?," he asks.

The figures we can get hold of are the spending over £500 that the government has insisted every local authority publish. This lists every individual transaction made - and we've extracted January to September this year form the City website.

It's the best data we can get - there is this strategic budget which details £165.1m in services spending. But, besides the £500 figures, the data is universally in PDFs, which appear to be scans of images. The data below accounts for just over £105m in spending.

It is also the spending on local authority services - and would not include money spent on things outside local government spending, such as lobbying for the financial sector. And it only includes money spent from central government sources - and from the City fund.

The figures give us a rough breakdown of nine months of spending. Here are some of the key facts:

• The top supplier is law firm Clifford Chance, which was paid over £9m
• Another law firm is in the top five - SJ Berwin on £3.8m
• The biggest non-commercial organisations funded are the Museum of London (£1.9m) and the London Symphony Orchestra (£1.6m)
• The top area for spending is 'Central balance sheet', which covers £28,137,330.13. Can any of you help us break this down?

The City also spends £3.7m on roads, £3.5m on the arts and administered £1.147m of housing benefit in the period covered by this data. Plus it also covers a number of interesting areas:

• Barbican arts centre events - £3.3m
• Economic crime directorate - £3.2m
• Spitalfields market - £1.6m
• London Metropolitan archives - £818,019.93
• The Old Bailey - £1m
• Asylum seeker services - £263,191.02
• Counter terrorism - £686,080.84
• Heathrow airport's animal reception centre - £382,092.51
• Public relations - £691,408.73

Confused yet? We need your help too. The full data is below. What can you do with it?

Data summary

Top 100 City of London suppliers
Supplier name	Total
Clifford Chance Llp	9,100,000.00
FM Conway Ltd	5,870,347.69
MRS Environmental Services Ltd	4,669,382.38
S J Berwin Llp	3,794,846.58
Comensura Ltd	3,553,763.18
Museum of London	1,889,625.00
Kent County Council	1,879,263.99
Vinci Park Services UK Ltd	1,794,792.56
EDF Energy Plc	1,671,711.15
London Symphony Orchestra Ltd	1,581,655.00
Linbrook Services Ltd	1,404,703.78
Cory Environmental Limited	1,364,083.84
Transport for London	1,291,968.66
Liberata UK Limited	1,160,233.76
Kent County Supplies (KCS)	1,131,563.11
Countrystyle Group Limited	1,060,576.00
Apollo Property Services Group Ltd	980,696.12
APCOA Parking (UK) Ltd	954,956.81
Quinn (London) Ltd	928,781.00
London Borough of Islington	888,387.05
REDACTED PERSONAL DATA	874,460.09
Serco Limited	754,565.69
United House Limited	744,924.82
Atoc Limited	698,787.00
Sodexo Ltd	636,134.05
HM Revenue & Customs	621,904.00
Laing O'Rourke Utilities Ltd	618,929.47
The Shield Guarding Company	587,501.95
Metropolitan Police Authority	587,088.99
Pace Fuelcare Ltd	508,865.82
Woodbar Ltd	501,408.46
Mitie Cleaning & Support Services Ltd	497,624.50
Planned Maintenance & Engineering Ltd	495,851.29
Thames Water Utilities Limited	480,388.29
Guideline Lift Services Limited	448,913.83
Museum of London	448,277.80
EON UK Plc	412,045.91
Target Live Ltd	400,118.09
Kaupthing Singer & Friedlander Ltd (In Administration)	397,596.12
Kaupthing Singer & Friedlander Ltd	393,252.84
Cory Environmental Ltd	385,934.88
The Guinness Trust	369,169.84
Human Management Assistance	368,786.94
National Policing Improvement Agency	352,798.55
Motorola Limited	345,850.00
London Councils	335,361.60
Broadway	328,389.72
EDC Lord & Co Solicitors	324,000.00
Enterprise Managed Services Ltd	313,265.75
Mattinson Partnership Limited	306,875.96
London Borough of Tower Hamlets	303,819.77
Kent County Supplies (KCS)	295,428.04
The City Arts Trust Ltd	293,867.67
Kingston (City) Estates Trading Ltd	284,231.08
OCS Group UK Limited	280,302.84
The CityUK	280,000.00
United House Ltd	274,708.31
British Telecommunications Plc	273,246.48
St Mungo Community Housing Association Ltd	253,820.31
Bryen & Langley Limited	249,722.70
Health Management Limited	239,198.45
Spitalfields Developments Ltd	238,720.86
Sodexo Ltd	225,941.60
Human Management Assistance	222,647.92
Walk England Ltd	215,777.00
Killby & Gayford (Building) Ltd	212,987.80
London Borough of Newham	208,494.28
Goodman Mann Broomhall	207,896.56
Konica Minolta Business Solutions (UK) Ltd	206,730.00
Transport Trading Limited	206,178.00
Crestel Partnerships Limited	197,329.86
Benchworks Ltd	196,605.00
Laing O'Rourke Utilities Ltd	193,475.36
National Theatre of Scotland	189,713.06
Metwin Limited	188,415.07
GB Adaptions Ltd	186,657.02
Serco Ltd	182,554.69
Hackney Community College	181,635.00
Angel Supported Homes Limited	179,233.01
Serious Ltd	175,800.00
Pinnerton Video Systems Ltd	173,633.00
Rupert Harris Conservation	172,945.25
The Brokerage Citylink Ltd	168,997.30
UK Power Networks (Operations) Ltd	167,001.42
CAN Networks Ltd	165,514.74
Brookwood Partnership Ltd	165,139.45
Pipers Project Ltd	164,008.81
JC Decaux Ltd UK	157,278.85
TMP (UK) Ltd	153,912.09
Zeag Parking Ltd	145,953.00
Kelway (UK) Limited	145,327.71
Providence Row Housing Association	145,304.77
Standage & Co Ltd	140,933.85
TMP Northern Limited	140,370.98
Healthmatic Ltd	140,277.20
Liberata UK Ltd	138,304.11
PA Finlay & Co Ltd	137,845.49
Northgate Information Solutions UK Limited	134,700.62
McGoff & Vickers Ltd	133,186.64
Countrystyle Group Ltd	132,572.00
SOURCE: City of London

City of London spending by area
Division of Service	Total
Grand Total	105,658,315.97
Central Balance Sheet	28,137,330.13
Corporate Services Directorate	5,598,974.03
Highways	3,692,700.74
Services Division	3,588,890.45
Arts Division	3,477,366.22
Street Cleansing	3,268,174.47
Barbican Own Events	3,252,206.88
Economic Crime Directorate (CF)	3,210,674.21
Service Charge Account	3,034,137.48
Levies, Grants & Subscriptions	2,663,083.85
CL & BHE(City Fund) Estate	2,292,739.34
Waste Collection	2,125,067.77
On Street Parking	2,118,456.90
Economic Development	2,038,451.34
Adult Social Care	1,822,067.32
New Spitalfields Market Service Charge	1,775,037.20
Waste Disposal	1,756,833.23
Off Street Parking	1,412,389.93
Cost Of Collection	1,243,102.31
Housing Benefit Administration	1,147,728.82
Older People	1,118,095.12
Central Criminal Court	985,477.90
Central	970,754.88
Cemetery & Crematorium	899,956.51
Rechargeable Works (CL & BHE/SVY)	854,666.99
Housing HRA Direct	829,725.82
London Metropolitan Archives	818,019.93
Transportation Planning	810,251.89
Recoverable	758,910.01
Rechargeable Works (Planning/ENV)	702,774.80
Public Relations	691,408.73
Counter Terrorism & Serious Crime	686,080.84
Finance Division	682,453.44
Walbrook Wharf	668,898.16
Homelessness	655,090.86
Port & Launches	651,214.70
Child Social Care	612,653.66
Public Conveniences	588,657.37
Other Schools Related Activities	567,759.03
Avondale Square Estate	536,544.44
Vol Sector Commissioning & concessionary Fares	535,843.25
Middlesex Street Estate	449,443.76
Guildhall Library & Administration	437,131.33
Supervision & Management	416,314.12
Golden Lane Estate	415,778.87
Adult & Community Learning	405,147.73
Commercial Division	403,830.92
Early Years & Primary Education	403,264.92
Territorial Policing Directorate	401,514.96
York Way Estate	393,416.30
Heathrow Animal Reception (HARC)	382,092.51
Corporate & Democratic Core	363,516.85
Security & Contingency Planning	322,075.33
Leadenhall Market	310,470.19
Southwark Estate	292,689.59
Lending Libraries	291,030.52
City Open Spaces	283,913.58
Other	280,166.65
Asylum Seekers Services	263,191.02
Supporting People	250,763.46
Specialist Support Directorate	250,457.42
City	227,369.41
Landlords Services	225,964.61
Town Planning	219,784.78
City Business Library	219,484.91
Drains & Sewers	212,530.66
Schools Delegated Budget	193,414.34
P&T CF Contingency	182,290.49
Digital Inclusion Team	179,599.32
Sydenham Hill Estate	165,775.19
Youth & Play	164,461.96
Holloway Estate	162,512.31
Director of Env Serv (COS)	144,700.10
Service Strategy - General	144,646.35
Vehicle Maintenance Dso	143,074.50
Keats House	141,601.42
Technical Services	140,804.15
Dron House	131,541.65
Traffic Management	131,398.35
Isledon House Estate	127,693.26
Supervision & Management -General	124,549.72
Road Safety	113,475.31
William Blake Estate	112,315.32
Animal Health Services	112,254.54
Guildhall Art Gallery	110,737.25
Des Support Services	105,656.60
Trade Centre	102,052.37
Recreation & development	96,271.12
Miscellaneous	86,911.70
City Information Centre	71,948.21
Windsor House	71,885.38
Car Parking	71,508.77
Control Accounts	67,514.90
Media & Public Relations	63,131.61
Other Housing Services	62,867.15
Human Resources Division	62,337.60
LMA Projects	57,616.61
Building Control	57,078.00
Street Scene	53,841.74
Transport Holding Account	50,504.55
Home Care	48,764.98
Meat Inspector's Office (Smithfield)	44,591.26
City Records Services	36,618.21
Frobisher Crescent/4-5 Bonhill St	31,263.91
B Division	30,519.71
Licencing	29,630.99
Cheapside Retail Initiative	29,312.83
Transport Organisation	26,428.87
Occupational Therapy	23,882.81
Trading Standards	21,436.46
Mayors & City Of London Court	15,680.48
Pensions	15,117.00
Lower Thames Street	13,815.00
Housing R & M General	11,060.00
Lower Thames Street -Roman Bath	10,427.74
Housing Service Strategy	9,500.00
New Spitalfields Market Corporation	9,278.45
Stores	9,241.00
Pest Control	8,371.27
Coroner	7,718.25
Other Non-Housing	5,200.00
Crossrail	5,000.00
Managing Director	3,920.92
Cleansing Management	1,568.64
SOURCE: City of London