The Learning and Skills council paid bonuses to 400 of its 3500 staff

The Learning and Skills council, the body that presided over the college building programme fiasco, paid out almost £30m in bonuses over the last seven years.

Figures published in the Daily Mail show that the organisation paid bonuses to all but 400 of its 3500 staff. The average payment was more than £1500.

The figures include the bonus of £36,242 which Building has previously reported was paid to former chief executive Mark Haysom, who stepped down in March. On top of basic salary and pension, it took his reward package for the year before his resignation to £289,000.

The payment of staff bonuses totalled £28,806,348 over seven years.