By Graham Hayday, 16 July 2002 08:15
NEWS Several of Gordon Brown's public services reforms, announced yesterday as part of his £60bn spending package, will involve significant IT projects. The Home Office will invest nearly £1bn in an electronic case management system to link the police, the Crown Prosecution Service, crown magistrates' courts and probation services. Nearly £3bn will be spent over the next three years on developing electronic services which are "quicker, more convenient and can be designed around the customer", this morning's FT reports. HM Customs and Excise will get £200m to spend specifically on IT, while local government gets £500m. The Inland Revenue (IR) - which is not known for its ability to deliver IT projects on time or within budget - will also benefit, having been awarded an unspecified sum to implement electronic filing systems for PAYE returns. The news comes on the same day that the IR's existing online tax site came in for criticism, with the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants saying that just five per cent of its members used e-filing for their income tax returns, with many experiencing technical problems.
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