The Tories in the coalition might believe in smaller government, but that doesn't seem to apply to their view on the number of Ministers and their Parliamentary bag carriers, so say MPs on the Public Administration Committee.
The current government has a record level of ministers in it, and when the number of unpaid Parliamentary Private Secretaries is included, the total number of 'payroll' votes in the Commons amounts to more than 140 - well over a quarter the total number of MPs.
The Public Administration committee has urged the government to cut this number, particularly if the number of MPs is reduced by 50 at the next election, a change the coalition looks set to enact.
In a report published on Monday, the MPs reject the explanations made by the government on the number of Ministers employed in various Whitehall departments. The government has claimed that more ministers are needed because there is a coalition, and insist that PPSs perform a useful function in keeping ministers in touch with the views of backbenchers.
Last week the government had the opportunity to reduce the number of PPSs after two of them lost their jobs by rebelling over Europe. Instead they kept the number of PPSs the same by recruiting two new Tory backbenchers.
In an interview with Huffpost UK last Friday, Tory MP Adam Holloway admitted that PPSs don't really do all that much, claiming it only took a couple of hours each week. But PPSs must always vote with the government or lose their jobs.
In their report published on Monday the Public Administration Committee concludes: "The UK Government is thus distinctive not only for having a relatively large number of ministers, but also ministers who are unspecialised in the areas for which they are responsible and for which they may have responsibility for only a short space of time.
"This lack of continuity in government departments can only serve to undermine ministerial effectiveness.
"While promising careful consideration of our recommendations and constant review of Ministerial numbers and functions, there is little to indicate the Government intends to change anything."
The government said it welcomed the committee's report and would provide a response in due course.