A ‘major projects authority' will be established within Whitehall to oversee ‘the effective management of all large-scale projects which are funded and delivered by central government', ministers have announced.

The new body forms part of a joint Cabinet Office and Treasury initiative, through which ministers hope to achieve a ‘seismic shift' in Whitehall's spending culture. Cabinet Office minister, Francis Maude, announced the establishment of the authority on 2 March, when he also revealed that some emergency measures to curb Whitehall spending, put in place after the coalition came to power last May, would be extended until 2015.