By Steve Ranger, 13 October 2006 11:55
NEWS
Computer projects at the Treasury are running 17 years late, according to figures obtained by the Liberal Democrats.
Among the most delayed projects are a centralised automated number plate reader database, which was due to be completed in October last year but is now expected to be completed next month. And BS7799 compliance at the Government Actuary's Office, which was expected to be completed in August 2003 but was not completed until last month.
When the delays across all Treasury projects are added together they come to 17 years, the Lib Dems said.
Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesman, Vince Cable, said the figures show just how bad the government is at running IT projects.
Cable said in a statement: "With the Treasury, who are allegedly the guardian of government efficiency programmes, finding it so difficult to keep IT projects on schedule, it would be utter madness to go ahead with further large IT projects such as ID cards."
silicon.com Public Sector
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The Tories were quick to jump on the Lib Dem bandwagon, and Theresa Villiers, shadow chief secretary to the Treasury, said: "This is deeply embarrassing news for [Chancellor] Gordon Brown - the man who loves to boast about his government efficiency programmes. All that hype about Gershon and efficiency rings hollow when the real facts come out about dismal IT failures like this."
But a Treasury spokesman told silicon.com the "vast majority" of IT projects are being delivered on time and on cost.
The spokesman added: "Like other areas of the public services the Treasury group believes that embracing this new technology will continue to deliver the high quality public services that the taxpayer deserves while also making huge efficiency savings."
Comments
There are 4 comments. Join the discussion
1. Mick James
What a misleading piece of spin from the Lib Dems. The headline implies that either there are some projects which are actually 17 years late or worse that the average delay on a Treasury project is 17 years. In fact it means "if you add together all the delays on Treasury projects the total comes to 17 years. Well so what? Is that 17 projects that are one year late or 204 projects a month late?
Who cares anyway--adding up delays on projects is a completely bogus calculation any way : on that basis why not have a headline "British people 250 million years old"?
2. anonymous
Lies, D_mn Lies, Statistics, Government Statements and Statistics from the Government
Yes - 17 years late - but the important/relevant thing is which projects account for what proportions of that time.
I've got some house maintenance jobs that are over 20 years late from their original estimates -
Then again does it matter, and am I really worried that I haven't replaced the front garden fence with a wall!
The fence panels and posts are still firm enough to lean on.
3. Tim Jackson
If all the people who were ever late for work were added up it would probably come to several thousand years. So what?
17 years? That deserves some sort of award for the most meaningless statistic yet to come out of a politician's mouth.
No-one has yet offered a pactical example of how ID cards might benefit us, so it should be an easy target. But this sort of strident, emotive, ill-educated objection does the opposition no favours at all.
4. galley slave#41
Of course these IT projects are running late because if the IT wallahs finished the job they would have to go looking for another job.
Just like any navvy or laborer on a building site "motto, don't tear the job up!
CUSHY JOBS OR WHAT!