Tories to cut IT to keep National Insurance down

[swamp]

The shadow chancellor today announced cuts in large IT programmes would form part of a £6bn public spending squeeze under a Tory government, that would be used to cancel most of a rise in national insurance planned for next year by Labour.

Under the plan to slash "without reducing the quality of front line services", George Osborne announced:

* New IT projects would be shelved
* Ongoing project would be cancelled if they were not delivering value
* Supplier contracts would be renegotiated
* Discretionary spending on IT services would be cut

But he was unable to cite specific projects, as opposition parties are not allowed to inspect government contracts.

Despite this, the Conservatives have already pledged to scrap ID Cards and the National Identity Register, as well as ContactPoint, the national database of children's details, which is up and running.

They have also promised to review the forthcoming Interception Modernisation Programme, which the Home Office has estimated at £2bn over ten years. The security establishment would be very resistant to any cut to the project, however.

Meanwhile cuts to the £12bn National Programme for IT, one of the world's largest public IT projects, would not return to the Treasury, as the Tories plan to ringfence the NHS budget.

The government immediately critised the announcement as lacking substance.

"George Osborne's savings are so flaky, he's admitted he doesn't even know which department is going to pay what," the Times reports a spokeswoman for Alistair Darling said.

Osbornes's plan is based on recommendations from Sir Peter Gershon and Dr Martin Read. Gershon is a former head of the Office of Government Commerce, and Read the former chief executive of LogicaCMG.®

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/03/29/osborne_it/

[threaded]

They could come to my company, get the product and still achieve those cuts. The increased efficiency would mean they could make bigger savings year on year afterwards too.

But they won't, 'cause TPTB don't really want any of it to work: can't score political points in the UK on a system that works and doesn't need tinkering with.

[BlasterBates]

hip hip hurray......

oh er ...hang on

[ratewhore]

KUATB

[The Wikir Man]

KUATB

Need a moderator to merge the two threads - where's NAT when you need her?

[BolshieBastard]

The shadow chancellor today announced cuts in large IT programmes would form part of a £6bn public spending squeeze under a Tory government, that would be used to cancel most of a rise in national insurance planned for next year by Labour.

Under the plan to slash "without reducing the quality of front line services", George Osborne announced:

* New IT projects would be shelved
* Ongoing project would be cancelled if they were not delivering value
* Supplier contracts would be renegotiated
* Discretionary spending on IT services would be cut

But he was unable to cite specific projects, as opposition parties are not allowed to inspect government contracts.

Despite this, the Conservatives have already pledged to scrap ID Cards and the National Identity Register, as well as ContactPoint, the national database of children's details, which is up and running.

They have also promised to review the forthcoming Interception Modernisation Programme, which the Home Office has estimated at £2bn over ten years. The security establishment would be very resistant to any cut to the project, however.

Meanwhile cuts to the £12bn National Programme for IT, one of the world's largest public IT projects, would not return to the Treasury, as the Tories plan to ringfence the NHS budget.

The government immediately critised the announcement as lacking substance.

"George Osborne's savings are so flaky, he's admitted he doesn't even know which department is going to pay what," the Times reports a spokeswoman for Alistair Darling said.

Osbornes's plan is based on recommendations from Sir Peter Gershon and Dr Martin Read. Gershon is a former head of the Office of Government Commerce, and Read the former chief executive of LogicaCMG.®

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/03/29/osborne_it/

National saviours, arent they? Not!

[ratewhore]

Need a moderator to merge the two threads - where's NAT when you need her?

Too busy handing out infringements, or whatever they're calling a stern telling off these days...

[Churchill]

They could come to my company, get the product and still achieve those cuts. The increased efficiency would mean they could make bigger savings year on year afterwards too.

But they won't, 'cause TPTB don't really want any of it to work: can't score political points in the UK on a system that works and doesn't need tinkering with.

Nurse!!! Threaded needs his medication!

[DodgyAgent]

This will cause more problems for the Indian economy than it will ours.

[HairyArsedBloke]

This will cause more problems for the Indian economy than it will ours.

Really, I'd say the opposite. What little is still done here will be lost to India as suppliers are put under more pressure to drive down costs.