But the court wanted to make clear it hadn't issued a blank cheque for future bailouts.

BBC: Berlin gets greater power over bailouts

Dr Vivienne Nathanson, Head of Science and Ethics at the British Medical Association said: With the UK deep in recession the government must ensure that Connecting for Health confronts the lessons of the past - the NHS IT project can't be paid for with a blank cheque.

BBC: Warning over fresh NHS IT delays

But they can't just expect parliament to sign a blank cheque on these things, to give governments the power to detain people for months without charge, does require specific evidence that that is necessary, alongside a whole range of other measures, that certainly are necessary, in order to combat terrorism.

BBC: William Hague