23/2008
1 July 2008
Minister for Finance and Deregulation, Lindsay Tanner, met today with Sir Peter Gershon to discuss the progress of the independent review into the Australian Government’s use and management of information and communications technology (ICT).
Sir Peter is in Australia to meet with government and industry representatives as part of the independent review’s consultation process.
Lindsay Tanner said: “Sir Peter is in the midst of an important and comprehensive body of work on behalf of the Australian Government, and has updated me on the progress to date.”
“I am pleased to hear that the review is benefitting from a high level of cooperation and consideration from Australian Government Agencies, the ICT industry in Australia and other interest groups.”
“Sir Peter has indicated that Australian Government agencies have also responded very positively to his requests for data, and that this data would underpin his evidence-based approach, and assist in the critical analysis of the use and management of ICT.”
The review has received over 60 submissions from industry, providing significant insight into the business challenges of the ICT industry in its interaction with the Australian Government.
Valuable input from representative bodies such as the Community and Public Sector Union, Australian Computer Society, Australian Information Industry Association and Australian Industry Group has also been received.
Lindsay Tanner said: “Submissions from these stakeholders help round out the overall picture of the sector in Australia.”
Sir Peter is in Australia until Saturday 5 July, and will return in August to continue bilateral consultations across a broad range of interests in the ICT sector and Australian Government.
He is also commencing detailed bilateral consultations with nine Australian Government agencies, selected as a cross-section of large, medium and small agencies with a mix of service delivery and policy responsibilities across a range of portfolios.
Sir Peter will report to the Government on the findings and recommendations of the review in September 2008.
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Sir Peter’s career has spanned both the private and public sectors since he graduated in Mathematics at Cambridge University in 1969. After starting in the computer industry (1969-1986) he worked in the telecommunications industry (1987-1994). Following that Sir Peter held positions as the Managing Director, Marconi Electronic Systems and became the main board director in GEC plc with responsibility for its £3.5 billion international aerospace and defence business.
Following the sale of GEC’s defence business to BAE SYSTEMS in late 1999 he joined the Civil Service in April 2000 as the first Chief Executive of the Office of Government Commerce (OGC) which had been created following a review Sir Peter had undertaken for the Government in 1999. OGC’s remit is to lead a major programme to reform the way UK Central Civil Government handles over £13 billion p.a. of public procurement. £1.6 billion of value for money gains were achieved by March 2003 against an initial target of £1 billion.
In August 2003, the Prime Minister and Chancellor of the Exchequer invited Sir Peter to lead a major review of efficiency across the whole UK Public Sector (excluding Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales) to identify significant resources which could be reallocated in the 2004 Spending Review to front line services over the period 05/06 – 07/08. By July 2004 the review had secured agreement to, and developed initial plans for the delivery of, a programme leading to over £20 billion of savings in 07/08 (the actual savings to end December 07 have exceeded £23 billion).
After more than four years of public service Sir Peter returned to the private sector in autumn 2004 and is now Chairman of the General Healthcare Group, Premier Farnell plc, Symbian Ltd. and Vertex Data Science Limited. His other current appointments include non-executive directorship of HM Treasury (until 31 March 2008), membership of the council of Imperial College and membership of the UK Defence Academy’s advisory board. In 2005/6 he headed an independent review of Ministerial and Royal Air Travel at the request of the Prime Minister and The Palace.
He was awarded the Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2000 for services to industry and knighted in 2004 for his work on public procurement.
Sir Peter is a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, the Institution of Electrical Engineers, the British Computer Society, the Chartered Institute of Purchasing & Supply and the Royal Aeronautical Society; a Companion of the Chartered Management Institute. He has an Honorary Doctorate in Technology from Kingston University and is an Honorary Fellow of Cardiff University.
Aged 61, Sir Peter is married with three grown up children, and enjoys skiing, swimming, reading, travel and the theatre.
Sir Peter has asked that the Australian Government make a donation to a charity in lieu of any remuneration.
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