Labour has been slammed for a record 157 per cent increase in spending on government advertising.

In March Labour spent more on advertising than either Unilever or Procter and Gamble, the world's biggest commercial advertisers, £30.2 million was spent by government departments on a pre-election advertising blitz, bringing the total for the first part of the year to £62.9 million.

The figures, compiled by media monitoring company ACNielsen MMS, provoked a row at prime minister's question time yesterday when Conservative leader William Hague attacked Tony Blair and the Labour government for spending taxpayers' money "advertising itself". Lib Dem leader, Charles Kennedy described the spending as "obscene".

Blair replied that the "vast bulk" of the expenditure had been spent on public information advertising, including advertising to ensure that people take up benefits to which they are entitled. Downing Street have denied that the government has co-ordinated advertising to coincide with a general election.