Government appoints G4S 'minder'

The goverment has appointed a senior 'minder' from business to oversee G4S, according to the Financial Times (Free, but registration required).

Ian Tyler, former Chief Executive of Balfour Beatty, is to be appointed Crown Representative for G4S, the security company at the centre of allegations of overcharging of electronic monitoring and prisoner transport contracts.

Last year the G4S Chief Executive Ashley Almanza told MPs on the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee that his company had failed to 'tell the difference between right and wrong' in relation its electronic monitoring contracts.

The company is currently barred from bidding for fresh government work. According to Whitehall procurement chief Bill Crothers, the appointment of Mr Tyler was intended to improve G4S' performance. He added:

'it is in the government's interests to have as broad a supplier base and as competitive a market as possible.'

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