Yup - nice little scam. Just because all that taxpayer's money hasn't actually achieved anything worthwhile it doesn't mean that it's disappeared - it's ended up in someone's pocket.

Ever heard the saying 'Money for old rope?

And the government complains when an MOD project goes wrong? Cuts the armed forces and their equipment. That IT overspend would meet the MOD's extra funding need for the next three years.

Bet that as its all civil service nothing gets cut, no minister will lose their position etc.

Maybe its time civil servants really went on performance related pay, mind you they could probably make the overspend into a lot of bonuses, ooh, they already do that.

Perhaps the UK civil service should have a chat with the French, they get open source software running well, on time and on budget, re French Tax service.