Total spending by local authorities in England has continued to rise steadily over the last five years according to the latest statistics.
A report by research specialists Tussell shows direct spend by local government in 2021/22 totalled £61bn, up 3% on the year before.
This compares with £48bn in 2017/18.
The biggest beneficiaries of local authority spending were waste management company Veolia who were paid £1.03bn, followed by construction giant Balfour Beatty who received £580m.
The figures show the London region as a whole spent the most with local suppliers -- £7.7bn, 61% of the total £12.6bn.
The North West region had the second highest relative spending with local firms at 52%.
Birmingham City Council was the highest spending local authority with a total of £1.6bn, down 1% on the year before.
Derbyshire County Council spent 20% less at £1bn in 2021/22 to a total of £0.9bn, while spending by West Northamptonshire Council went up 100%.
