§ Mr. Simon HughesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the information technology projects undertaken by his Department, including the date each project started, the planned date for completion, the current expected date of completion, the planned cost of the project and the current estimate of total cost; and if he will make a statement. [145696]
§ Mr. Straw[holding answer 16 January 2001]: The current major Information Technology (IT) projects within my Department and its agencies (excluding non-departmental public bodies) are listed in a table that 166W has been placed in the Library. The information in the table covers those IT projects where (a) the cost or value of the project exceeds £5 million or (b) the project is essential for delivery of core objectives or services.
In addition to the projects listed in the table, the National Probation Service Information and Technology Programme also falls within the definition given. It aims to meet the short, medium and long-term needs of the new National Probation Service, including addressing the shortcomings of the existing software applications available to Probation Service areas under the National Probation Service Information Systems Strategy (NPSISS) programme, which was initiated in 1993, and is now drawing to a close. Implementation of NPSISS is under review by the National Audit Office.
The immediate needs are being addressed through a Service Management Plan, and a project has been initiated to procure a service provider from late 2001–02 as an interim step while strategic arrangements are put in place for the longer term. The programme has not yet been fully costed. The two main procurement projects within it will be subject to review under the Gateway procedures by the Office for Government Commerce.