The act rushed through in two hours at the end of the previous parliament, was accused of several failings among them not addressing online copyright effectively. The statement came after the government published the terms of the agreement between the two coalition parties. The agreement included plans to scrap at least £15bn worth of planned IT projects.

• The scrapping of ID card scheme and the National Identity register (£4bn), next generation of biometric passports and the Contact Point Database (£224m). However, internet service providers already collect address and time details of e-mails and voice calls made over internet under the European Data Retention Directive and the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (Ripa).
• Ending of storage of internet and email records without good reason (£12bn)
• Outlawing the fingerprinting of children at school without parental permission
• The extension of the scope of the Freedom of Information Act to provide greater transparency.
• Adopting the protections of the Scottish model for the DNA database
• The protection of historic freedoms through the defence of trial by jury
• The restoration of rights to non-violent protest
• The review of libel laws to protect freedom of speech
• Safeguards against the misuse of anti-terrorism legislation
• Further regulation of CCTV
• A new mechanism to prevent the proliferation of unnecessary new criminal offences.

The Institute of Web Science centre, announced earlier this year and aimed at putting the UK at the forefront of the development of semantic web technologies, will be scrapped, saving £5m.

The agency designed to promote the use of technology in education, Becta (the British Educational Communications and Technology Agency), will also be closed down, saving £10m this financial year and £65m per year in future.

Government will also reduce the number of new higher education places that will be created with priority for Stem (science, technology, engineering, maths) students this year from 20,000, as planned under the Labour government, to 10,000.

No news as yet on NHS centralised patient records under the £12.7bnNational Programme for IT, the £1.2bn e-Borders system for immigration, and a £600m pensions processing offshoring deal.

Before election, the Conservatives  accused government of attempting to rush through a £1bn, ten-year contract for defence logistics software, as well as an £800m communications & IT services deal for the Serious Organised Crime Agency.

Chancellor, George Osborne, said day-to-day cost reduction – including cutting specific IT projects – will deliver £6bn worth operational cost cuts for the government this year alone.