Context to this work-what did it set out to achieve?

In May 2010, HMT ministers announced a reduction to in-year government expenditure of £6.2 billion. This was subsequently carried out at the emergency 2010 Budget in June. Of the total £6.2 billion, £3.2 billion was expected to derive from measures associated with cash savings through increased efficiency or reduced spend.

In the 2010 Spending Review, HMT ministers took steps to "re-balance the books", and reduce public spending against the previous OBR forecasts by around £81 billion.

The Cabinet Office began programmes of work with Departments to address both these areas.

- Immediate term steps included:

- performing a review of major government projects, and of existing ICT projects to identify where spend could be curtailed in year; and

- putting in place moratoria governing:

- non-essential recruitment;

- new ICT projects;

- marketing and advertising spend;

- potentially wasteful expenditure on consultants and Temporary Agency staff; and

- starting a programme to centralise procurement of common goods and services.

- Longer term programmes of reform to embed sustainable change across the public sector,
included measures:

- to reconsider the delivery models for public service and establishing employee owned mutuals;

- to implement a programme of Civil Service Reform;

- to establish a Major Projects Authority with real teeth to influence the delivery of our largest project commitments;

- to increase government transparency; or

- to create new forms of social investment in the voluntary and community sectors.