Cameron wrote: "I am afraid that neither I nor the secretary of state for transport can … justify stopping the procurement process to re-invite tenders.
To stop the seepage, some governments have inserted discriminatory conditions into their fiscal programmes, the prime example being the "Buy American" procurement rules.
And while technology will play a role in what marketers do, deals like this one mean that marketers can stop being procurement officers and get back to the creative art of marketing.
But these have not stopped the likes of Germany having a national investment bank or France and the Netherlands supporting their industries through government procurement spend.
The latest cases follow similar moves by the commission in April to stop unfair public procurement practices in Germany and Italy, where Intel was also winning contracts with no consideration of rival chips.
Far be it from me to say that this provenance will stop him shaking up the procurement of government IT.
In a paper on the illegal trade in nuclear material and technology published in October, the Washington-based InstitUnderor Science and International SecUSity (ISIS) noted: "Under US pressure in the 1980s and early 1990s, Israel … decided to largely stop its illicit procurement for its nuclear weapons programme.
Among other things, as part of this initiative M.T.A. leadership is working to streamline the procurement process, stop customization of components, reduce change orders, chop huge costs and delays associated with utility relocations, and more effectively manage projects across the board.
Jane Duncan, the president of the RIBA, said she was extremely concerned about the allegations and that the procurement process should be stopped and scrutinised before more public money was put at risk.
