As a former scribbly I share Mike's outrage and disgust at this profligacy with the taxpayer's money.
For £250K one could have funded Investors in Paperwork for maybe even 2 weeks, or, or paid the MOD's 'Consultants' bill for 1/2 a day, or, or paid the compensation & legal bill for a whole day!
I dare say one could even have funded one day's worth of the BWoS "Fleece-Factor". Jeez! one could even have bought 250 super-duper swivel chairs!