13 August 2010 | Angeline Albert
Sir Philip Green, the head of clothing retailer Arcadia Group, has been asked by prime minister David Cameron to lead an external efficiency review into government spending.
Green, who will report to Francis Maude, minister for the Cabinet Office, and Danny Alexander, chief secretary to the Treasury, will scrutinise government spending over the past three years to identify inefficiencies and potential savings.
As part of his review Green will assess whether government leases and contracts entered into since 2007 offer value for money.
Maude said: “This government is doing its utmost to ensure we make savings at the centre, not the front line, and to show that we are ready and willing to open up the government’s books for real external scrutiny.”
Green said: “I have discussed this project fully with my group CEO Ian Grabiner who is supportive, excited and engaged in aiming to make a difference. I believe that our shared experience in the procurement of many goods and services, across a broad geographical area of the UK, will enable us to have important benchmarked information which will be extremely useful. I want to help focus, motivate and energise to achieve these efficiency savings.”
The government has committed to make immediate savings of £6.2 billion this year. Green will report back his findings before the October spending review.
