Slammed at the beginning of the week by a highly critical Commons Public Accounts Committee report, the Government - in the form of Cabinet Office e-Minister Ian McCartney - has promised to learn the lessons and do better in the future.

The report, citing a string of problems with major projects, says that the same mistakes were repeated time and again. It suggests there is a need to develop new, unambiguous contracts with suppliers and establish better contingency plans. It also highlights the role for central monitoring of plans and implementation, as well as the need to sharpen project management skills.

McCartney was not caught by surprise by these criticisms. He recently launched a review of both public and private sector projects, hoping to draw out the best practice principles that should guide future work. This process is due to complete in May.

Elliott Chase