This meant that the department, and its new political masters, found themselves in the ludicrous position of having a portfolio of procurement programmes in place, under or close to contract, that was patently not funded despite an «approvals process» affirming the opposite. (totalpolitics.com)
Ironically, a delay might make the whole project cheaper as it would bring Britain closer in step with the USA missile procurement programme. (channel4.com)
«The top 20 major procurement programmes have a cumulative delay of 483 months. (theguardian.com)