§ Mr. AllanTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what cost savings have been made in his Department since the introduction of the Information Technology Procurement Centre of Excellence; and how these were calculated. [151049]
§ Ms Rosie WintertonA centre of excellence was established within the Department of Health in June 2003 to integrate the essential functions which underpin the successful delivery of all types of acquisition-based programmes and projects. As cost benefits will not accrue until improvements start to take effect, it is too early to measure cost savings. All centres of excellence are currently developing future plans, and as part of this process, measurement of savings will be defined.
§ Mr. AllanTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what audit mechanisms are in place to determine whether all IT hardware and software products are being properly utilised in his Department. [151054]
§ Ms Rosie WintertonThe Department of Health has outsourced support for its information technology (IT) infrastructure including desktop computers, to Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC). CSC conduct periodic audits of IT hardware and software to ensure compliance with software licensing requirements and best value for money, taking into account the total cost of ownership.
The Department of Health allows its employees and people working on behalf of the Department reasonable personal use of its IT equipment; usage is monitored in accordance with the Information Commissioner's "Code of Practice: Monitoring at Work and the 1129W Department's Acceptable Use of IT Policy". Breaches of this policy may lead to disciplinary action including dismissal.