FORMER Health Secretary Alan Milburn was yesterday criticised for accepting payments for speeches made while a backbench MP from companies involved in NHS contracts.

The Mail on Sunday said he was paid between £10,000 and £20,000 for two speaking engagements. The payments, declared in the register of MPs interests, were from firms involved in the Government's Private Finance Initiative (PFI) reforms.

Mr Milburn was paid up to £10,000 by US firm Financial Security Assurance to speak at the European Infrastructure Leaders Forum last April. It helped fund the 1999 PFI deal to build Bishop Auckland General Hospital, in County Durham.

Last July, Mr Milburn received up to £10,000 to speak at an event in Birmingham organised by the PPP Forum, a lobbying firm that promotes PFI projects.

A spokeswoman for Mr Milburn said the work was done while on the backbenches.

"He has declared this work in the usual way," she said. "Decisions on PFI contracts are taken by departments and not by Alan Milburn."

Those close to Mr Milburn say the story, which does not accuse him of any impropriety, first surfaced last year and had been re-heated in a right-wing newspaper to coincide with his high profile at the conference.