Deputy prime minister John Prescott has spent £645 on a new door sign, it has emerged.
Mr Prescott changed the sign at his Whitehall office from Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) to Deputy Prime Minister's Office.
The ODPM was dissolved in a Cabinet re-organisation in May 2006. Its responsibilities were passed to the Department for Communities and Local Government.
But Mr Prescott's office still has a staff of 18, who spent £746 on business cards for the new department.
Shadow constitutional affairs spokesman Oliver Heald requested the figures in a parliamentary question.
Mr Heald said: "The Whitehall farce is continuing with taxpayers' money being wasted on a pointless new sign for a pointless new department that faces the chop when Tony Blair finally leaves Downing Street."
Mr Prescott's spokesman responded: "It cost us £140 to answer this question."
