Defra Squandered Millions on IT Projects

UK's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs or Defra is reported to have splurged over £26 million over the last five years on IT projects that never were completed.

Three projects have been cancelled as well as other small underatakings which accounted £26.29 million. The projects include a database of information for the department's "customers", an electronic log of paperwork and a list of people holding licences for exotic animals. Defra did not offer any explanation whether the decision to rescind such schemes was dependent on  OGC or (Office of Government Commerce) Gateway Reviews. OGC facilitates reviews of major public sector projects at certain stages of their development to evaluate whether they should continue to progress.

Defra is a government department in the UK responsible for environmental protection, food production and standards, agriculture, fisheries and rural communities in the country. It also represents UK at the EU on agricultural, fisheries and environment matters and in other international negotiations on sustainable development and climate change.