Tories plan major public sector IT spending cuts

Conservative leader David Cameron launched the 2010 manifesto today

The Conservative Party launched its manifesto for the general election today, outlining plans to cut public sector IT spending, increase UK technology innovation and scale back the government's database state.

The Tories promised to open up the £200bn government procurement market to small and open-source companies, partly by breaking up large ICT projects into smaller components.

The party also vowed to tackle wasteful government procurement projects by strengthening the power of the chief information officer to tighten project management, and by publishing in full government contracts for goods and services worth over £25,000.

Tory plans would see £6bn worth of cuts in public spending by the end of next year, in addition to the savings made by cutting tax credits. The cuts will include a freeze on all major new ICT spending.

Also in the manifesto is a pledge to increase innovation and boost the start-up industry by reducing the number of forms needed to register a new business, and moving towards a 'one click' registration model. This will make Britain "the fastest place in the world to start a business", according to the party.

Comparing the UK with Silicon Valley, the manifesto also argued for more focus on IT innovation in education.

"Despite having a population 20 times smaller than the UK, Silicon Valley is a global beacon for innovation and enterprise, attracting more venture capital investment than the whole of the UK," it said.

"Having led the internet revolution, Silicon Valley is now becoming a world leader in green technology development. These successes are thanks to the highly skilled workforce, world-class universities, the ease of starting a business, and the availability of credit and investment."