"Tech Refresh" - IT Overspend Fiasco Continues

4.53.57pm GMT Fri 10th Mar 2006

Serious issues about Labour controlled Haringey Council's massively overspent IT project 'Tech Refresh' still remain unresolved, following Thursday afternoon's reconvened meeting of the Council's Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

Despite repeated requests for information, Lib Dems say that two key areas remain unclear. No senior Councillors or Council officers have been held accountable for the failings which led to the £10.6 million overspend and there has not been a full explanation for the delay in calling in the District Auditor once the catastrophe was uncovered.

Haringey's Lib Dem opposition are now submitting Freedom of Information requests to obtain some of the background facts that have not yet been provided:

· What degree of involvement and control the then Executive Member exercised over this multi-million pound project;

· What caused the delay between the Chief Executive being told of the massive overspend (April 2005) and the calling in of the District Auditor (July 2005)

Cllr Wayne Hoban (Lib Dem, Alexandra), Deputy Leader of the Lib Dems, says:

"It is unbelievable that no one seems to have been held responsible for this project which more than doubled its budget. The whole system failed - but who was responsible for monitoring this system and ensuring that taxpayers' money was not wasted?"

"We belatedly received some more information from the Executive Member, which has addressed some of the outstanding questions about this fiasco. But there are still far too many unanswered questions."

Cllr David Winskill (Lib Dem, Crouch End), Overview & Scrutiny Committee Member, adds:

"An external review has been ordered to look at the working relationship between Councillors and officers and we will be seeking to take as full a part as possible in that and the future Value for Money review. We will continue to press for answers on this issue - Haringey residents deserve to know exactly what went wrong."

"The implementation and cost overrun of the IT 'Tech Refresh' project is a blot on the political landscape of Haringey that will last for a very long time."

ENDS

Notes to editors:

The requests submitted today by Cllrs Hoban and Winskill under the Freedom of Information Act are:

To provide details of meetings and conversations about the IT 'Tech Refresh' project (including frequency, number and notes where available) between the then Executive Member responsible for the project, Executive colleagues, senior officers and external consultants, prior to the new Executive Member taking up his post in May 2005.

To provide details of meetings and conversations about the IT 'Tech Refresh' project (including frequency, number and notes where available) between both the current and previous Executive Member responsible for the project, Executive colleagues and senior officers including the former and former Interim Chief Executives in the period between the Chief Executive being told of the massive overspend (April 2005) and the calling in of the District Auditor (July 2005).