21 June 2006 | Rebecca Ellinor

Plans for national commodity buying by local authorities will be unveiled this autumn.

Steve Holland, director of the East of England Centre of Excellence - one of nine regional centres helping councils with procurement efficiency - was one of the keynote speakers at the "Procurement Solutions for the Public Sector" event in London yesterday.

He said the £38 billion procurement budget of local government could be better spent, with huge savings to be made in areas such as IT hardware, furniture, telecoms, energy, professional services and social care.

He said certain commonly procured items could be bought regionally or nationally and told supplymanagement.com that a national commodities plan would be unveiled by October.

"Through the regional centres over the next 12 months we'll focus on specific support and the changes that need to take place. We're not just talking about it," he added.

SMjun2006