Government permanently excludes Becta

Spending reforms aimed at tackling UK's £156bn budget deficit results in axe of schools IT buying agency

Becta has been responsible for promoting use of IT in UK schools

Education IT buying organisation Becta has become one of the first casualties in the Lib-Con government’s quest for efficiency savings.

In a statement released earlier today, the HM Treasury confirmed that Becta was one of several “low-value” programmes to be axed, at a saving of £80m for the Department for Education.

Its closure forms part of a series of spending reforms introduced by the government to help tackle the UK’s £156bn budget deficit, starting with £6.2bn worth of savings during 2010 and 2011.

Becta’s bosses Stephen Crowne and Graham Badman expressed their disappointment at the decision to close down the agency in a joint statement.

It said: “Our top priorities now are to make sure we have an orderly and fair process for staff, and that as far as possible schools, colleges and children continue to benefit from the savings and support that Becta has provided.

“We will be talking to government departments and our other stakeholders including the industry about this.”