5.6 The present Government took a number of immediate measures to improve the public sector's PFI procurement capabilities:
• it ended universal testing of all investment projects for the potential application of PFI in 1997, allowing departments to dedicate skilled resources to those areas most likely to give rise to effective PFI projects and to prioritise the most promising PFI opportunities;
• it instituted the Bates Review to suggest improvements to the delivery of PFI projects. The resulting report, published in 1997, led to a number of further measures, including the creation of the Treasury Taskforce on PFI and the establishment of standardised contract terms;
• in April 1999, Peter Gershon undertook a review of civil procurement in central government. One outcome of this review was establishment of the Office of Government Commerce, incorporating several existing government agencies. The OGC vision is to work with central civil government as a catalsyt to achieve best value for money in commercial activities. Among other policy measures, the OGC initiated the creation of standardised PFI contracts (see paragraph 5.23 to 5.26); and
• since 1997, public sector bodies have also significantly increased their internal PFI expertise. The Department of Health, HM Prison Service, the Highways Agency and other bodies have developed specialised private finance units to provide advice on the most effective use of PFI to achieve departmental investment targets.