Government IT procurement report to be published next week

The UK government is expected to flesh-out details of its investigations into several high-profile IT project failures next Monday.

Yesterday, Prime Minister Tony Blair threw his weight behind a Cabinet Office inquiry that would look at existing contracts and the success of the controversial Private Finance Initiative (PFI). Recent glitches at the Passport Agency (Siemens Business Services), Inland Revenue (EDS) and Contributions Agency (Andersen Consulting) have placed the issue in the spotlight.

Launching the Performance and Innovation Unit (PIU) report on ecommerce with the PM yesterday, DTI minister Patricia Hewitt - the new e-minister - said the government has to set an example to the rest of the country with its procurement methods. Government procurement accounts for 4 per cent of all UK spend.

Ian McCartney, Cabinet Office minister, will chair a working group examining best practice in the private sector and abroad.