Oh no, you're thinking, yet another cookie pop-up. Well, sorry, it's the law. We measure how many people read us, and ensure you see relevant ads, by storing cookies on your device. If you're cool with that, hit “Accept all Cookies”. For more info and to customize your settings, hit “Customize Settings”.

Review and manage your consent

Here's an overview of our use of cookies, similar technologies and how to manage them. You can also change your choices at any time, by hitting the “Your Consent Options” link on the site's footer.

Manage Cookie Preferences
  • These cookies are strictly necessary so that you can navigate the site as normal and use all features. Without these cookies we cannot provide you with the service that you expect.

  • These cookies are used to make advertising messages more relevant to you. They perform functions like preventing the same ad from continuously reappearing, ensuring that ads are properly displayed for advertisers, and in some cases selecting advertisements that are based on your interests.

  • These cookies collect information in aggregate form to help us understand how our websites are being used. They allow us to count visits and traffic sources so that we can measure and improve the performance of our sites. If people say no to these cookies, we do not know how many people have visited and we cannot monitor performance.

See also our Cookie policy and Privacy policy.

This article is more than 1 year old

Hewlett-Packard paid £1.7bn by UK.gov in 2 years – report

Thinktank claims DWP is cash cow, but HP's computer says no

Hewlett-Packard is the single largest supplier of services to the British government, according to a new report.

Meg Whitman’s PC and server company made in excess of £1.7bn off HMG in 2012 and 2013, the Institute for Government says.

The group, however, warns that “some” of its figures are not accurate.

According to the charity, HP also reckons there is a “significant discrepancy” between its figures and the computer company’s own data.

Data was gathered by startup Spend Network and is based on 6,711 documents on central and local government spending between January 2012 and December 2013.

According to the report, Mega-outsourcer CapGemini was second largest in 2012 and 2013, taking £1bn off HMG. BT was third on £797m and £753m and Capita fourth on £651m and $803m.

The six largest IT suppliers accounted for £4.13bn of spending in 2013, down from £4.49 in 2012.

HP’s single biggest customer is the Department for Works and Pensions (DWP), which accounted for 86 per cent of HP’s government money in 2013.

“The contract is likely to be the largest single, non-defence contract in central government,” the Institute wrote.

CapG also appeared to rely heavily on a single department for central government revenue – that department was Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC).

Technology topped the list of all spending by central and local government, beating construction, outsourcing, facilities, telecoms and even defence.

The report does not include spending on deals smaller than £25,000 in central government and £500 in local government, thresholds beneath which government is not required to disclose. Accordingly, the Institute said it was unable to calculate spending on SMBs.

It’s SMBs that No 10 has been championing as suppliers of government IT via G-Cloud, which is supposed to reduce its self-professed reliance on an oligopoly of suppliers. ®

 

Similar topics

TIP US OFF

Send us news


Other stories you might like