Legal aid solicitors may not be surprised to learn that the government does not always operate to the same level of efficiency that it expects from them.

The Department for Constitutional Affairs (DCA) recently published on its Web site a report on how it intends to deliver its public service agreement over the next three years.

The section on legal aid contained the surprising news that, in addition to organising a bid round for general civil contracts in 2004, it planned to do so in 2005 as well.

Legal aid practitioners we contacted were both alarmed and outraged - after all, the 2004 contract was meant to be for three years - and just as we were whipping up a very nice storm, the DCA press office replied to our query on the subject by saying that, erm, it was just a mistake and would be removed from the report (which, at the time of writing a week later, it hadn't been).

Far be it from us to cast doubt on a government doing its best to shake off allegations of constant spin, but if in fact there is another round in 2005, you read it here first.