by political editor Paul Francis

County councillors will quiz social services chiefs today about a multi-million pound contract that could be given to consultants to curb the spiralling costs of adult care.

But parts of the meeting may end up being held in secret - with the Press and public excluded.

Kent County Council is considering whether to award a £5.4m contract to consultants Newton Europe to advise how to make tens of millions of pounds of savings from its adult care bill.

The contract has aroused controversy after the KM Group revealed the same company had previously been paid by KCC to advise on whether the scale of the savings were achievable.

Today's meeting of a cross-party backbench cabinet watchdog committee will scrutinise events that led up to the decision to nominate Newton Europe as the authority's preferred bidder.

Opposition Labour councillors sought to make election capital over the row ahead of the meeting by saying it was unacceptable for the Conservative-run council to pay consultants so much at a time when the adult are budget was under pressure.

The Conservative administration has strongly defended the plans to appoint consultants, arguing the contract will mean that the company would get paid by results.