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The Private Finance Initiative: The Contract for the Defence Fixed Telecommunications System

“This project was a major procurement for the MOD in the complex field of communications where the MOD has many different requirements and technology is changing rapidly. The MOD achieved a good price on the project they went to the market for but, given that the MOD has a number of closely related communications contracts, a strategic review may have identified options for pursuing further savings from a project with a different scope.”

Sector(s): Arts, media and sport, National security, Private Finance

Published:
23 Mar 2000

The privatisation of QinetiQ

“The move to privatise QinetiQ was effective in safeguarding the viability of a business of national importance and secured half a billion pounds for the taxpayer. However, I believe more money should have been secured for the public purse.

“And it is of concern that the Ministry of Defence did not seek specialist advice on the incentive scheme, which resulted in the top ten managers owning shares worth £107m. This level of return exceeded what was necessary to incentivise management.

“The MoD must now be proactive in managing the remaining risks to deliver the long term value for money from the deal.”

Sector(s): National security, Private Finance

Performance Improvement area(s): Asset sales and privatisation

Published:
23 Nov 2007

The Privatisation of Royal Mail

The Department was successful in floating Royal Mail. But its approach was marked by deep caution, the price of which was borne by the taxpayer.

Sector(s): Business and enterprise

Performance Improvement area(s): Asset sales and privatisation

Department(s): Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Published:
1 Apr 2014

The procurement of consumables by NHS acute and Foundation trusts

NHS hospitals often pay more than they need to when buying basic supplies. A combination of inadequate information and fragmented purchasing means that NHS hospitals’ procurement of consumables is poor value for money.

Sector(s): Health and social care

Published:
2 Feb 2011

The Procurement of Criminal Legal Aid in England and Wales by the Legal Services Commission

“Last year the Legal Services Commission spent over £1 billion on criminal legal aid. With such a considerable sum of money involved, it is very important that the Commission understands the market from which it is buying and the cost effectiveness of its own practices, but at present, that is not the case. It needs to address this as a priority to make sure that it is paying a fair price for legal aid services that both sustains a competitive supplier base and provides value for money.”

Sector(s): Devolved Administrations, Law and the justice system

Published:
27 Nov 2009

The procurement of goods and services by HM Prison Service

“The Prison Service has made real progress in how it buys goods and services for prisons throughout the UK. The Service spends around £450 million a year and is securing a good deal for the taxpayer in using that money. It could do still better by extending the new approach to the whole of the organisation.”

Sector(s): Law and the justice system

Published:
23 Jul 2008

The Procurement of the National Roads Telecommunications Services

“The Highways Agency’s procurement identified the risks to the National Roads Telecommunications Services project and successfully transferred them to the private sector, conducting negotiations with the preferred bidder well. It did however take a lot longer than planned and only two bidders remained through to the end of the competition. There are good practice lessons both for the Agency and for other major public procurements”

Sector(s): Digital Government, Education and skills, Infrastructure, Private Finance, Transport

Published:
4 Apr 2008

The Provision of Out-of-Hours Care in England

“The Department of Health is now on track towards providing high-quality out-of-hours services. I am glad to see signs that Primary Care Trusts are getting better at managing their providers.

“However, it is disappointing that there were so many problems in starting the new arrangements and I am concerned that so few providers are meeting their targets for the time it takes respond to patients. And the continuing confusion over whether out-of-hours is supposed to be an urgent or unscheduled care service should be dispelled without delay.”

Sector(s): Health and social care

Published:
5 May 2006

The Public Private Partnership for National Air Traffic Services Ltd

“The deal has been set up well to provide safety and accountability. But the financial position of the company will need strengthening by the parties involved to enable it to make further investment in air traffic control, one of the Government’s main objectives for the Partnership.”

Sector(s): Infrastructure, Transport

Published:
24 Jul 2002

The quality of service for personal taxpayers

HMRC aimed to move more customers online thereby reducing staff costs but significant numbers of staff were let go before technical improvements were completed leading to a collapse in service quality in 2015. Services have since improved.

Sector(s): Tax

Performance Improvement area(s): Cost reduction and affordability, Customer management, Digital service delivery, Transforming public services

Department(s): HM Revenue and Customs

Published:
25 May 2016

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