To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress has been made towards implementation of the recommendations in the May 2009 review Operational Efficiency Programme: collaborative procurement (a) to empower commercial directors in Government departments to agree targets for uptake of collaborative strategies for each non departmental public body and executive agency within their department, (b) for review groups to monitor the collaborative procurement performance of Government departments and (c) for Office of Government Commerce to (i) agree a Government eProcurement policy, (ii) expand the contracts database and (iii) perform an investment appraisal for a central eAuction Centre of Excellence. (279780)

[holding answer 15 June 2009]: A supplementary report to the Operational Efficiency Programme Final Report, explaining how the collaborative procurement recommendations will be delivered, was published on 13 May 2009, and is available at:

http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/vfm_operational_efficiency.htm

Actions are under way to address all of the recommendations and progress will be published in the autumn pre-Budget report.