The Department told us that technology and analytics would enable it to review data in real time and strengthen controls but acknowledged that it is still at an early stage in developing these capabilities and requires a more systematic approach to using analytics to prevent, detect and recover fraud.87 For example, it explained that duplicate invoice checks have historically been applied retrospectively, and that it is beginning to embed continuous checks into its new tooling to avoid incorrect payments progressing through the system.88 The Department also said that analytics is currently used to identify irregularities in data, and that 81 Q 19 82 Qq 52 and 57 83 Q 58 84 Committee of Public Accounts, Government use of data analytics on error and fraud, Seventy-fifth Report of session 2024–26, HC 891, 27 March 2026 85 C&AG’s Report, paras 2.2-2.10 86 C&AG’s Report, para 4.12 87 Qq 3 and 13 88 Q 13 18 some fraud-prevention flags are being incorporated into the procurement processes, with the aim of strengthening controls throughout the procurement cycle.89