Tories call for online public spending details

The Conservatives have called for the government to publish on the internet full details of public spending.

Shadow chancellor George Osborne wants to see new legislation introduced so voters can "Google" their taxes to see where the money is being spent.

The party will introduce the Government Spending Transparency Bill in the Lords which would require all spending above £25,000 to be published in real time.

This would not include items related to national security or personal information covered by the Data Protection Act however.

Osborne was set to outline the plans in a speech in London on Tuesday evening.

"For too long, government spending has been shrouded in Whitehall secrecy," he said.

The Tories say the cost of setting up a search engine to allow people to see where their taxes are being spent could be "managed within the existing Treasury budget".

An American version of the system which is already up and running is expected to cost just m over five years.

Osborne argued that for too long "it's been difficult for the public to find out exactly where their tax money is being spent".

"That's why we are introducing new legislation in the House of Lords that will throw open the government's books and enable everyone to... 'Google their tax pounds'."