The Government signaled its determination to exploit the potential of e-commerce with the appointment of Peter Gershon as Chief Executive of the new Office of Government Commerce. The OGC is being set up to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the Government's £13 billion annual civil procurement budget, covering everything from stationery to construction.

"In the developing electronic age, we must seize the opportunity to combine a new era of central Government efficiency with the huge potential from its civil procurement buying power to deliver real savings for the taxpayer," said Andrew Smith, Chief Secretary to the Treasury.

Peter Gershon is currently Chief Operating Officer in BAe Systems and was previously Managing Director of Marconi Electronic Systems. Last year he undertook a review of Civil Procurement for the UK Government. He joins the Treasury as a civil servant on a three year contract at a salary of £180,000 per annum. His deputy will be Brian Rigby, currently Director of Procurement at HM Treasury and previously Director of Supply Management at British Telecom and Director of Strategy for Fujitsu UK.

The Office of Government Commerce will be the centre of excellence in procurement for some 200 Government departments and agencies employing around 5000 staff on procurement tasks and spending some £13 billion of taxpayers' money every year. The OGC will take on the staff of Central Computer and Telecommunications Agency (CCTA), Property Advisers to the Civil Estate (PACE) and The Buying Agency (TBA) together with some procurement staff from HM Treasury, Cabinet Office and Department of Health. It occupies new premises at Fleetbank House, Salisbury Square, off Fleet Street, London on 1st April.

The OGC website is at http://www.ogc.gov.uk

Richard Byatt