The Department of Constitutional Affairs has admitted
that the cost of the Libra case management system for magistrates
courts will rise to £487m – more than three times the £146m
original cost set in 1998.
The much delayed system will also be delivered at least a year
later than the most recent roll-out schedule, according to Alex
Allan, accounting officer at the Department for Constitutional
Affairs.
Allan’s statement emerged in uncorrected evidence to the Public
Accounts Committee, which was published last week. It revealed that
Libra will incur £40m additional support costs before it is fully
implemented in March 2008, together with £22m additional software
costs, £23m additional services costs and £12m in increased
internal costs.
The Department for Constitutional Affairs has begun a tender
process for IT contracts covering its entire operations, including
Libra. The current contract for supporting Libra, held by Fujitsu,
runs out in March 2007, before the system will be fully
implemented.
