The government agrees but responds by detailing current programme progress, the role of the Independent Assurance Panel (IAP) in oversight, and the competitive global market for alternative suppliers, without addressing the specific historical observations or financial estimates.

The government's response, which focuses on financial implications of the CMA ruling and business case review, does not address the committee's conclusion regarding the disbanding of emergency services' dedicated ESN teams or the importance of retaining points of contact.

The government agrees with the committee's conclusion and states it has drafted an ESMCP control plan outlining main building blocks, dependencies, and testing (including real-world testing). This plan is currently out for user consultation and will be agreed upon by the end of 2023, but the response does not specifically address how building penetration issues or the 2,000-4,000 locations needing checks will be resolved.

The government's response, which is identical to a response for another recommendation, does not address the committee's specific observations regarding concerns about ESN's cost, lack of productivity benefits, or the risk of emergency services not adopting it due to existing commercial alternatives.

The government agrees on the need for clear responsibilities and plans for operating ESN when live, detailing that current contracts define the service model, the User Services supplier will act as Service Integrator, and a new billing model is developed. However, the response does not specifically address the committee's concern about the programme no longer expecting to provide apps beyond push-to-talk, which limits potential innovations and benefits.