More news26 October 2007 | Paul Snell
The government has adopted recommendations from the Public Accounts Committee on improving government procurement.
It has responded to 16 reports recently published by the committee, acting on a number of suggestions to improve central government buying.
The committee noted HM Revenue & Customs' efforts to improve deals with IT suppliers, and the OGC's attempts to get better value for money from external consultants.
The OGC was criticised in a report by the committee this summer for having "no idea" what the government spends on consultancy (Web news, 19 June) and for only implementing half of the MPs' previous recommendations.
Since the latest report, the OGC has set up a Consultancy Value Programme, aimed at short-term improvements in the way departments share information on consultants, and long-term progress on whether external skills need to be used at all.
Conservative MP Edward Leigh, chairman of the committee, said in a statement: "Once again the recommendations of our committee are being translated into action by government departments. Our work is leading to savings for the taxpayer."
* Read a full interview with Edward Leigh in SM's public sector supplement, out on 29 November.
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