The Government has pushed back a closely watched review of the panel set up to centralise Whitehall's legal spending for almost a year, it has emerged.

Office of Government Commerce agency Buying Solutions has confirmed that the review of its 48-strong legal panel – formerly 
known as Catalist – has been delayed by 11 months after it originally kicked off in September last year.

The review, launched in an effort to cut both legal spend and the number of law firms the Government instructs, has not yet gone to tender, despite a request for proposals originally being expected to go out in January.

A team of procurement officers – led by Buying Solutions chief executive Alison Littley and corporate services director David Murray – are currently assessing what to expect from advisers in terms of fee arrangements and other value-added services.

Firms currently on the panel include Allen & Overy, Linklaters, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, Herbert Smith, DLA Piper, Eversheds and Norton Rose.

A Buying Solutions spokeswoman commented: "The current framework agreement has been extended with all 48 suppliers for a period of 11 months, during which time the project in respect of the replacement arrangements is taking place with Efficiency and Reform Group and Government Legal Service and is still at an early stage."

Partners at firms on the panel have voiced complaints that work is not handed out evenly, with Legal Week research earlier this year showing that while 15 of the 48 firms on the panel have billed more than £1m in fees over the last three years, 12 have billed less than £40,000 and seven billed for no work at all during 2009-10.

One adviser commented: "Government legal procurement needs a major makeover, and many doubt whether this review is likely to provide that."