Public sector digital capacity

Lack of sufficient digital capacity within government departments, posing significant risks to transformation programmes.

1,123 items 11 sources 7 inquiries

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Where this theme appears

Public sector digital capacity has been flagged across 11 independent accountability sources:

18 inquiry recs 1 PFD report 847 committee recs 3 HMICFRS recs 4 ICIBI recs 95 NAO recs 1 IMB report 86 IMB recs 3 detention investigation recs 10 PHSO decisions 55 LGO/SPSO decisions

When the same issue appears across inquiries, coroner reports, and regulators independently, it indicates a recurring issue across the public record.

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Source-grouped records are useful for tracing where a concern came from. Large sections show the 50 strongest matches for that source; counts still show the full theme total.

Inquiry Recommendations (18)

LADB-3 — Establish common telephone numbers for public major incident information

Ladbroke Grove Inquiry

Recommendation: The police service, in co-operation with the emergency services, should use their best endeavours to ensure that common telephone numbers are issued for the use of members of the public who are seeking to give or obtain information about persons …

LADB-2 — Extend computerisation to all police forces for shared information access

Ladbroke Grove Inquiry

Recommendation: Computerisation should be extended to all police forces, so that the information collated by each is readily available to all others (para 4.120).

LADB-1 — Computerise system for managing missing persons and casualty information

Ladbroke Grove Inquiry

Recommendation: The system for the reception of information about missing persons, casualties and survivors should be computerised. It should be possible for information which has been received to be entered directly into the computer and for information from it to be …

CR2 — Technology for duplicate incident reconciliation

Cranston Inquiry

Recommendation: HM Coastguard should seek, at pace, to invest in the technology required to support its ability to reconcile duplicate small boat incidents. Where this cannot be accommodated within the existing budgets of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, the Department for …

Response Pending

P2-15 — Establish legal recognition and regulation of fire engineer profession

Grenfell Tower Inquiry

Recommendation: That the profession of fire engineer be recognised and protected by law and that an independent body be established to regulate the profession, define the standards required for membership, maintain a register of members and regulate their conduct. (113.25)

Gov response: The government accepts this recommendation. We recognise the importance of fire engineers in ensuring life safety and will consider how to most effectively protect and regulate the profession.

Accepted In progress

P2-14 — Require test results disclosure and transparency for construction products

Grenfell Tower Inquiry

Recommendation: a) that copies of all test results supporting any certificate issued by the construction regulator be included in the certificate; b) that manufacturers be required to provide the construction regulator with the full testing history of the product or material …

Gov response: The government accepts this recommendation in principle. Any claims made about a product's performance, including statements about its suitability for use in certain situations, must be clear, honest and evidenced. Test results relied on when …

Accepted in Part In progress

P2-13 — Make construction regulator responsible for product conformity certificates

Grenfell Tower Inquiry

Recommendation: That the construction regulator should be responsible for assessing the conformity of construction products with the requirements of legislation, statutory guidance and industry standards and issuing certificates as appropriate. We should expect such certificates to become pre-eminent in the market. …

Gov response: The government accepts this recommendation in principle. We have published a construction products green paper alongside the response to the Inquiry that addresses this recommendation more effectively, as it will be considered as part of …

Accepted in Part In progress

F136 — Public accountability of commissioners and public engagement

Mid Staffs Inquiry

Recommendation: Commissioners need to be recognisable public bodies, visibly acting on behalf of the public they serve and with a sufficient infrastructure of technical support. Effective local commissioning can only work with effective local monitoring, and that cannot be done without …

Gov response: The government published "Hard Truths: the Journey to Putting Patients First" (Cm 8777) on 19 November 2013, responding to all 290 recommendations of the Francis Report. This followed an initial response "Patients First and Foremost" …

F128 — Expert support

Mid Staffs Inquiry

Recommendation: Commissioners must have access to the wide range of experience and resources necessary to undertake a highly complex and technical task, including specialist clinical advice and procurement expertise. When groups are too small to acquire such support, they should collaborate …

Gov response: The government published "Hard Truths: the Journey to Putting Patients First" (Cm 8777) on 19 November 2013, responding to all 290 recommendations of the Francis Report. This followed an initial response "Patients First and Foremost" …

F127 — Resources for scrutiny

Mid Staffs Inquiry

Recommendation: The NHS Commissioning Board and local commissioners must be provided with the infrastructure and the support necessary to enable a proper scrutiny of its providers' services, based on sound commissioning contracts, while ensuring providers remain responsible and accountable for the …

Gov response: The government published "Hard Truths: the Journey to Putting Patients First" (Cm 8777) on 19 November 2013, responding to all 290 recommendations of the Francis Report. This followed an initial response "Patients First and Foremost" …

FENN-8 — Timed recording and retrieval system for all controller communications and messages

Fennell Inquiry

Recommendation: All messages received or made by HQ and line controllers must be timed and recorded with an effective retrieval system. A telephone system incorporating the most up-to-date facilities shall also be provided, as should data and video transmission equipment.

P2-19 — Review architect education and training for fire safety

Grenfell Tower Inquiry

Recommendation: We recognise that both the Architects Registration Board (ARB) and the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) have taken steps since the Grenfell Tower fire to improve the education and training of architects. We recommend that they should review the …

Gov response: ARB and RIBA accept this recommendation. The Inquiry's report notes that both the regulator, the Architects Registration Board (ARB), and the professional body, the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), have taken steps since the …

Accepted In progress

P2-18 — Develop fire engineering courses for construction professionals

Grenfell Tower Inquiry

Recommendation: That the government, working in collaboration with industry and professional bodies, encourage the development of courses in the principles of fire engineering for construction professionals and members of the fire and rescue services as part of their continuing professional development. …

Gov response: The government accepts this recommendation. We recognise the importance that the principles of fire engineering can have for these professions and others. We will work with industry and professional bodies to consider how best to …

Accepted In progress

P2-17 — Define competent fire engineer knowledge and skills

Grenfell Tower Inquiry

Recommendation: That the government convene a group of practitioner and academic fire engineers and such other professionals as it thinks fit to produce an authoritative statement of the knowledge and skills to be expected of a competent fire engineer. Such a …

Gov response: The government accepts this recommendation. We will convene a panel of academics and industry experts to consider what should be expected of a competent fire engineer. The panel will also support and advise on the …

P2-16 — Increase Masters-level fire engineering course places

Grenfell Tower Inquiry

Recommendation: That the government take urgent steps to increase the number of places on high-quality masters level courses in fire engineering accredited by the professional regulator. (113.25)

Gov response: The government accepts this recommendation. We recognise the value that more masters level courses in fire engineering could bring and will consider how to most effectively increase their number and take-up.

Accepted In progress

P2-1 — Establish single construction industry regulator

Grenfell Tower Inquiry

Recommendation: That the government draw together under a single regulator all the functions relating to the construction industry to which we have referred. (113.6)

Gov response: The government accepts this recommendation in principle. The single regulator will deliver the functions specified in the report with two exceptions. We do not believe it is appropriate for the single regulator to undertake testing …

Accepted in Part In progress

P2-57 — Local authority review third-party contracts

Recommendation: Local authorities must review all contractual arrangements and agreements with third-party providers of services that care for and transport the deceased. This must include consideration of assurance mechanisms, such as key performance indicators, regular reporting, formal contract review meetings, site …

Gov response: This recommendation is under consideration.

Response Unclear

DM-23 — Retain documents in digitised form

Daniel Morgan Panel

Recommendation: It is recommended that, whenever a major incident remains under investigation or inquiry, documents should be retained in digitised form, subject to appropriate security measures and made available to those who subsequently and justifiably require access to them.

Gov response: One of the principles around which the Code is built is transparency, which includes a statement that 'Chief officers must ensure that, where appropriate, their force is transparent with the public about the nature and …

Accepted No update 2+ yrs

PFD Reports (1)

17 Dec 2021 · Manchester West

Concerns: Insufficient and unreliable IT facilities hinder timely electronic record-keeping, forcing staff to rely on memory or paper notes, which results in unrecorded or omitted crucial clinical information.

Response (Royal Bolton Hospital): The Informatics Team is conducting ward spot audits to monitor IT equipment, a topic discussed at Ward Managers meetings in December 2021 and January 2022. A Steering Group was established …

Committee Recommendations (847) — showing 50 strongest matches

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: There is a risk that the Department still lacks the capacity to prioritise and deliver major digital programmes on time. In common with many other government departments and agencies, the Department is reliant on a range of legacy technology systems …

Gov response: 1. PAC conclusion: The pandemic has demonstrated the importance of departments retaining sufficient capacity to respond to emergencies when identifying potential efficiencies.

Under Consideration

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: There is a large gap between the demand for and supply of the digital specialists that government needs, and it is hard to get the right balance of in-house and outsourced skills. Government has been excessively reliant on outsourcing and …

Gov response: 1. PAC conclusion: The pandemic has demonstrated the importance of departments retaining sufficient capacity to respond to emergencies when identifying potential efficiencies.

Under Consideration

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: Departments’ track record delivering IT projects is particularly relevant given that HMRC is still working on replacing its CHIEF customs system with a new Customs Declaration Service (CDS). CDS was originally supposed to be in use by all UK traders …

Gov response: 7: PAC conclusion: Government’s ambition for the UK to have the “world’s most effective border by 2025” relies on cross-government digital programmes, in which it does not have a good track record. 7: PAC recommendation: …

#2 — Develop a comprehensive long-term digital and data strategy, establishing group-wide technology standards for Defra.

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: Defra does not have a strategy or vision needed for its long-term digital transformation. Defra has so far focused on stabilising its legacy applications by seeking to mitigate the biggest risks of cyber-attack or operational failure and is moving towards …

Gov response: The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. from Defra’s legacy data centres. We expect to have migrated from 3 of Defra’s legacy data centres during the summer of 2023. Defra has also approved a further …

#9 — Increase NHS digital and social media presence for reproductive health conditions consistently

Women and Equalities Committee

Recommendation: With women and girls relying on online spaces and a proliferation of femtech apps to fill gaps in their knowledge of reproductive health conditions, the NHS should increase its own digital and social media presence in relation to reproductive health …

Gov response: It is unacceptable that some women have such poor experiences during procedures such as hysteroscopy, IUD (intrauterine device) fitting and cervical screening. Experiences of pain during these sorts of procedures can vary significantly from one …

Under Consideration

#8 — Improve NHS website with interactive tools, guidelines, accessibility, and mental health support

Women and Equalities Committee

Recommendation: To supplement improvements in the provision of information on the NHS website, we recommend the inclusion of an interactive tool which can help women to determine whether they might have a reproductive health condition. We further recommend that information on …

Gov response: The government is committed to ensuring that women receive comprehensive, up-to-date information about diagnostic and treatment options for reproductive health conditions. Healthcare professionals are expected to provide women with detailed information ahead of any surgical …

#7 — Enhance NHS website and app to be comprehensive, accessible, inclusive, and highly-visible

Women and Equalities Committee

Recommendation: We know that many women and girls are using online spaces to get information and seek help while there are gaps in support in medical fields. It is therefore imperative that the NHS and trusted sources become a first-port-of-call to …

Gov response: As referenced in the report, RCOG is developing a guideline on the care of trans and gender-diverse adults in obstetrics and gynaecology. RCOG aims to publish this in 2026. The government is committed to delivering …

Under Consideration

#7 — Prioritise development and rapid rollout of Home Hub portal to service families.

Defence Committee

Recommendation: The DIO must prioritise the development of the Home Hub portal and roll this out to families as soon as possible. (Recommendation, Paragraph 53)

Gov response: The MOD accepts recommendations 6 and 7 aimed at enhancing communication with Service families regarding the maintenance of their homes. The DIO and its IPs recognise the importance of keeping Service Personnel and their families …

#15 — HMRC lags in secure digital file sharing; plans secure messaging via app and tax accounts.

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: HMRC said it uses email sparingly due to security concerns.42 Several organisations representing taxpayers and their agents wrote to us to highlight the need for a secure digital way to share files and correspondence with HMRC so that communication by …

Gov response: The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: March 2028 4.2 HMRC is considering options to enhance and improve its current services to give taxpayers and intermediaries secure digital channels that they expect, …

#14 — HMRC consistently fails to meet targets for processing high volumes of postal correspondence.

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: HMRC received 22 million items of correspondence in 2022–23, including physical post and forms and interactive forms.37 Around 70% of correspondence comes in through the post. To process postal correspondence, as well as some electronic correspondence, HMRC must scan or …

#13 — HMRC reversed controversial helpline closures following public criticism, with no further plans.

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: HMRC closed or reduced the queries it handles on four helplines in 2023–24. For the largest change, the trial closure of the Self Assessment helpline in summer 2023, it gave customers only two working days’ notice.31 HMRC said it was …

Gov response: The government does not agree with the Committee's conclusion that HMRC has been too willing to let its telephone services fail in the hope this forces people to use its digital services instead. The Exchequer …

#12 — Many calls could be digital, yet some services remain offline and customers need assistance.

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: While the use of digital services has increased, HMRC still estimates that 66% of telephone calls could have been handled online. HMRC said this partly reflects customer awareness of the extent of its digital services. It started a campaign in …

Gov response: The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Recommendation implemented 2.2 The government agrees with recommendation 2a and is currently considering HMRC’s resourcing as part of the Spending Review. Further digitising HMRC’s customer services will enable …

#9 — HMRC faces resource shortages as taxpayer numbers and complexity continue to increase.

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: HMRC says it has not had enough resources to deal with all the contact it has been receiving.17 It estimates that in the last two years, the number of taxpayers in the income tax system has increased by 3 million …

Gov response: The government does not agree with the Committee's conclusion that HMRC has been too willing to let its telephone services fail in the hope this forces people to use its digital services instead. The Exchequer …

#8 — HMRC continues receiving millions of calls despite digital-first ambition and roadmap plans.

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: HMRC has been working to become a ‘digital-first’ organisation since 2010 and hopes to replace traditional forms of contact with digital services.13 It said its research shows that 86% of customers say they are willing to deal with HMRC digitally …

Gov response: The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Recommendation implemented 2.2 The government agrees with recommendation 2a and is currently considering HMRC’s resourcing as part of the Spending Review. Further digitising HMRC’s customer services will enable …

#7 — HMRC provides limited and delayed information on customer telephone waiting times.

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: We asked whether HMRC provides customers with information on expected call waiting times. It said it provides this information on many of its helplines, but the information is limited to the average call waiting time from the previous day rather …

Gov response: The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: March 2027 1.12 HMRC already - gives customers an indication of likely wait time on some helplines and is actively exploring the use of call …

#4 — Prioritise introducing systems for customers to submit files and send secure digital messages.

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: HMRC does not provide an efficient means for taxpayers to communicate digitally with HMRC. In 2022–23, HMRC received 22 million items of correspondence, including physical post and forms and interactive forms. Approximately 70% of this comes in through the post. …

Gov response: The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. taxpayers and intermediaries secure digital channels that they expect, the ability to communicating and exchanging documents, driving better customer service and increasing yield.

#3 — Understand digital service replacement capacity and ensure minimum telephone service for all customers.

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: HMRC has been too willing to let its telephone services fail in the hope this forces people to use its digital services instead. HMRC estimates 66% of calls it receives could be handled online instead. It hopes that by encouraging …

Gov response: The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Recommendation implemented HMRC encourages customers to use its online services wherever possible. However, HMRC recognises the importance of providing phone support for those who need it, including customers …

#2 — Allocate sufficient resources to HMRC customer service and establish service level guard rails.

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: HMRC’s digital services have not sufficiently reduced demand on the phone and HMRC has failed to prioritise the resources needed to sustain an appropriate standard of telephone service. HMRC has been working to become a ‘digital-first’ organisation since 2010 and …

Gov response: The government disagrees with the Committee’s recommendation. The department does not wait for specific performance triggers - it is always reviewing plans and forecasts of demand, monitoring performance and proactively adjusting resourcing levels day-by-day and …

#26 — NHS still lacks consistent data infrastructure and technological maturity, delaying productivity gains.

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: We asked what was being done to improve productivity through the use of new technologies. NHSE told us the NHS currently lacks a consistent data infrastructure and that NHS providers varied in terms of their levels of technological maturity.50 NHSE …

Gov response: The government disagrees with the Committee’s recommendation. 7.2 It is right that all patient records in the NHS should be digitised. In 2025-26 Operating Planning Guidance, NHSE and DHSC has prioritised investment in: • running …

#25 — NHSE's needed capital investment in technology is diverted to mitigate ICB spending deficits.

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: NHSE assesses that sustained increases in capital investment are needed to replace ageing equipment, expand capacity to meet demand, and enable staff to benefit from new technologies.48 However, NHSE told us its investment in technology between 2022–23 and 2024–25 could …

Gov response: The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Recommendation implemented: October 2024 2.8 Decisions to switch CDEL to RDEL have previously been made, in line with the principles set out in ‘Consolidated Budgeting Guidance’ and in …

#14 — NHS productivity remains below pre-pandemic levels; future targets are significantly ambitious and challenging.

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: According to official ONS measures, long-term productivity gains in the NHS averaged 0.6% a year over the period 1996–97 to 2018–19. But productivity subsequently fell, both before and during the pandemic, and has yet to recover fully. In March 2024, …

Gov response: 3.2 The NHS is working hard to recover lost productivity caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. The most recent ONS publication of annual Public Sector Productivity shows: • NHS productivity continuing to recover in 2022-23, after …

#7 — Publish plans to reduce NHS paper reliance and set deadline to end fax machines.

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: Despite ambitions to improve productivity through the introduction of new technologies, the switch to digital in parts of the NHS has been glacially slow. Digital and technological improvements could have a transformative effect on the NHS. However, NHSE’s investment in …

Gov response: The government disagrees with the Committee’s recommendation. It is right that all patient records in the NHS should be digitised. In 2025-26 Operating Planning Guidance, NHSE and DHSC has prioritised investment in: • running and …

#20 — DWP faces daunting and complex challenges in modernising its services and legacy IT systems.

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: DWP told us that the scale of the challenge involved in service modernisation was daunting for a variety of reasons. It highlighted the complexity of what it did, the size of its operations, issues relating to its legacy IT systems …

Gov response: 4.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Recommendation implemented 4.2 The department recognises that successful service modernisation requires long-term, genuine systemic and organisational culture change. It is fostering a cultural shift by enhancing behaviours, …

#19 — DWP's extensive Service Modernisation Programme faces significant delivery and cultural change risks

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: DWP recognises that significant parts of its services remain largely unmodernised. Its Service Modernisation Programme is an 11-year organisation-wide programme, estimated to cost £312.1 million and running from 2022–23 to 2032–33, which is seeking to deliver benefits for customers, staff …

Gov response: 4.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Recommendation implemented 4.2 The department recognises that successful service modernisation requires long-term, genuine systemic and organisational culture change. It is fostering a cultural shift by enhancing behaviours, …

#23 — HMRC's persistent system failures continue causing erroneous VAT debt demands to single address.

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: Over a six–month period in September 2022, a large number of VAT– registered overseas businesses changed their registered address to one residential property in Cardiff. The resident received more than 11,000 letters from HMRC and debt collection agencies regarding unpaid …

Gov response: 5.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: April 2026 5.2 HMRC already has robust controls in place but will continue to strengthen them over time. Elements of the recommendation are already …

#19 — Full ECCTA operationalisation, particularly mandatory director identity verification, requires further system development and legislation.

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: Some measures introduced under ECCTA will not be fully operational until Companies House develops the necessary systems and capability, or until further secondary legislation is in place. This includes verifying directors’ identities.53 Companies House told us identity verification will be …

Gov response: 4.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: November 2025 4.2 The government accepts the case for exploring options to improve the authenticity and integrity of company address information on the register. …

#16 — HMRC and Companies House system integration for joint registration faces significant long-term challenges.

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: HMRC and Companies House have explored opportunities from Companies House’s new powers, including a single streamlined system for registering and filing company, Corporation Tax and VAT documentation which would provide more assurance over the addresses of registered businesses. HMRC and …

Gov response: 3.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: November 2025 3.2 HMRC will write to the Committee in 6 months' time to update them on plans and progress. HMRC, Companies House and …

#30 — Crown Court caseload data previously unreliable due to Common Platform errors

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: MoJ confirmed that it had identified three factors that caused it to pause publication of its Crown Court caseload data from June to December 2024. It had found that case records in Common Platform (the new digital case management system …

Gov response: 7.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Recommendation implemented: March 2025 7.2 The external assurance review of the process and methods used to produce Crown Court caseload statistics concluded that MoJ can have a …

#7 — Assure accuracy of criminal justice datasets and set out scope for courts' digitisation.

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: Despite MoJ assuring us that it has rectified the processing errors that led to it publishing inaccurate Crown Court statistics, we remain concerned that other datasets within the criminal justice system may be affected by the same quality and accuracy …

Gov response: The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. the courts and tribunals, working in collaboration with the judiciary. MoJ is in the early stages of proving the effectiveness of transcription in Immigration Tribunals, as well as …

#27 — Public sector digital leadership found inadequate, DSIT to mandate roles and publish roadmap.

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: We challenged DSIT and the Cabinet Office on the scale of the challenge and whether the public sector would be able to grasp the opportunities offered by AI. DSIT told us that it had to be self–critical about digital leadership …

Gov response: The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: March 2026 3.2 DSIT acknowledges the ongoing digital skills gaps across the public sector and is taking active steps to implement reforms that address this …

#16 — Government's long-standing digital and data skills gap requires renewed efforts and diverse initiatives.

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: The digital and data skills gap in government is long–standing and this committee has raised concerns about this issue in the past.35 We challenged the Cabinet Office and DSIT on how they were tackling the problem and they told us …

Gov response: 3. PAC conclusion: There are persistent digital skills shortages in the public sector and DSIT’s plans to address the skills gap may not be enough. 3. PAC recommendation: DSIT and Cabinet Office should write to …

#15 — Addressing the AI skills gap is crucial for responsible and ethical public sector AI adoption.

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: Written evidence we received emphasised the importance of addressing this skills gap, raising concerns about the public sector’s ability to take advantage of the opportunities of AI responsibly and ethically without 28 Qq 10–11 29 Q 57 30 Q 20 …

Gov response: 3. PAC conclusion: There are persistent digital skills shortages in the public sector and DSIT’s plans to address the skills gap may not be enough. 3. PAC recommendation: DSIT and Cabinet Office should write to …

#14 — Significant recruitment and retention challenges hinder government's adoption of AI and digital skills.

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: 70% of government bodies responding to the NAO’s survey identified difficulties in recruiting and retaining staff with AI skills as a barrier to AI adoption.31 In January 2025, the government’s State of digital government review set out the digital and …

Gov response: 3. PAC conclusion: There are persistent digital skills shortages in the public sector and DSIT’s plans to address the skills gap may not be enough. 3. PAC recommendation: DSIT and Cabinet Office should write to …

#7 — Legacy IT systems pose significant risks to government AI adoption and cybersecurity.

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: DSIT told us that it was a matter of urgency that the issue of legacy systems in government is addressed, not only to take advantage of the opportunities offered by AI, but also to address other risks including cyber security …

Gov response: The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: Winter 2025 1.2 The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) will carry out this work in two steps. Firstly, working with HM Treasury (HMT), …

#6 — Ensure Government Digital and AI Roadmap has clear implementation plan with milestones and metrics.

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: Realising the benefits of AI across the public sector will require strong leadership from DSIT. Addressing the skills shortage, tackling the persistent issues with poor data quality and out–of–date technology, and providing the support and guardrails the public sector needs …

Gov response: The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. heart of departmental decision making. This recommendation aligns with the ongoing efforts to strengthen digital leadership across the Civil Service to ensure that the digital transformation is supported …

#3 — Explain how Digital and AI Roadmap reforms will resolve public sector skills gaps.

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: There are persistent digital skills shortages in the public sector and DSIT’s plans to address the skills gap may not be enough. 70% of government bodies responding to the NAO’s survey identified difficulties in recruiting and retaining staff with AI …

Gov response: The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. taking active steps to implement reforms that address this challenge. To strengthen leadership and invest in talent, the government is introducing a requirement for all executive committees to …

#38 — HMRC demonstrates limited use of technology in promoting e-invoicing

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: The written evidence received from Dr Edidiong Offiong Bassey also suggests that HMRC is not making the best use of technology. In particular, he indicated there has been limited promotion in the UK of electronic invoicing and electronic fiscal devices …

#37 — UK tax system lags behind other countries in digital efficiency and comprehensive taxpayer services.

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: We were also concerned that HMRC has not been making good use of other technologies. In particular, it appears that the UK’s tax system is not as efficient for customers as the systems in some other countries such as Estonia, …

Gov response: 4.3 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Recommendation implemented 4.4 HMRC has written to the Committee alongside this Treasury Minute response. 4.5 HMRC is changing how it interacts with customers, delivering a more streamlined, …

#36 — HMRC acknowledges legacy IT systems and poor data management hinder AI adoption and increase cyber risks.

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: We asked HMRC whether the age of some of its IT systems were going to make it more difficult to adopt AI. HMRC agreed and considers the “critical thing with AI is making sure you really have a handle on …

Gov response: 6.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Recommendation implemented 6.2 HMRC has written to the Committee alongside this Treasury Minute response. 6.3 HMRC is well positioned to take advantage of emerging technologies, particularly AI, …

#35 — Experts recommend HMRC accelerate AI adoption for customer support, staff upskilling, and fraud prevention.

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: Written evidence, received from Southampton University academics and accountants, Dr Md Hosam Al Kaddour and Dr Nouha Saber, recommended that HMRC accelerates digital transformation, including investment in AI–driven customer support to handle routine inquiries and thus reduce call centre costs.70 …

Gov response: 6.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Recommendation implemented 6.2 HMRC has written to the Committee alongside this Treasury Minute response. 6.3 HMRC is well positioned to take advantage of emerging technologies, particularly AI, …

#34 — Achieving AI benefits requires significant business practice changes and foundational investment in skills and data.

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: In our recent report on the use of AI in government we said: Artificial intelligence has the potential to transform public services by automating routine tasks, making public services quicker and more efficient, and making better use of government data …

Gov response: 6.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Recommendation implemented 6.2 HMRC has written to the Committee alongside this Treasury Minute response. 6.3 HMRC is well positioned to take advantage of emerging technologies, particularly AI, …

#26 — Prioritise introducing secure digital channels for customers to submit files and messages.

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: Last year HMRC acknowledged that is behind many other organisations in enabling customers to communicate securely through digital channels. In 2022–23, approximately 70% of the 22 million items of correspondence HMRC received came in through the post. In January 2025 …

Gov response: 4.3 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Recommendation implemented 4.4 HMRC has written to the Committee alongside this Treasury Minute response. 4.5 HMRC is changing how it interacts with customers, delivering a more streamlined, …

#25 — HMRC cannot commit to legacy IT remediation completion date due to funding uncertainty.

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: We asked HMRC why it had taken longer and was costing more to remediate its legacy systems. HMRC said that some of the systems had proved more complex than expected and it had underestimated costs.45 Progress had also been slowed …

Gov response: 4.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: September 2025 4.2 HMRC will write to the Committee on its plans to address the remediation of its legacy IT systems with a forecast …

#24 — HMRC’s legacy IT systems pose security, reliability, and cost risks.

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: HMRC explained that there are three key risks that arise from operating legacy systems: lower levels of security; lower reliability and resilience; and higher costs of system changes. HMRC said that its executive team and its digital team track how …

Gov response: 4.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: September 2025 4.2 HMRC will write to the Committee on its plans to address the remediation of its legacy IT systems with a forecast …

#23 — HMRC’s legacy IT systems remediation efforts are behind schedule and over budget.

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: HMRC has one of the largest and most complex IT estates in the UK, and it faces a significant challenge to modernise its IT infrastructure to keep pace with changing technology. In 2020 the NAO reported that HMRC recognised 36 …

Gov response: 4.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: September 2025 4.2 HMRC will write to the Committee on its plans to address the remediation of its legacy IT systems with a forecast …

#16 — Many taxpayers, especially agents, experience difficulty dealing with HMRC, contrary to its Charter.

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: The HMRC Charter promises to “provide services that are designed around what [the customer] need[s] to do, and are accessible, easy and quick to use, minimising the cost to [them]”.27 HMRC’s surveys have found a significant proportion of taxpayers do …

Gov response: 5.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Recommendation implemented 5.2 HMRC conducts regular research with customers to understand their needs and perspectives. HMRC’s Government Social Researchers conduct qualitative and quantitative research, including nationally representative …

#15 — Declining trust in HMRC attributes to substandard services and broader global governmental trends.

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: We asked about taxpayers’ declining trust in HMRC. HMRC said there had been a decline in trust globally with governments and with public bodies, and it was also subject to that decline. It told us that it had not been …

Gov response: 2.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Recommendation implemented 2.2 HMRC recognises five drivers of customer trust, being perceptions of fairness, competence, transparency, reciprocity and prevalent social norms. 2.3 HMRC uses its annual customer …

#8 — HMRC's costs increased due to funding gaps, IT under-investment, and rising taxpayer numbers.

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: Given the increase in costs reported by the NAO, we asked HMRC what progress it had made on its key strategic measure to reduce the cost of running the tax system. HMRC said the increase in its costs since 2019–20 …

Gov response: 1.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: Summer 2025 1.2 The government has committed to simplifying the tax system and taking this forward as part of its three strategic priorities for …

#6 — Mandate HMRC to assess its readiness for new technology, including AI, and present plans.

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: We are concerned that HMRC is not well–placed to take advantage of the opportunities offered by technology, for example the development of artificial intelligence (AI) and e–invoicing. AI has the potential to improve the productivity and speed of HMRC services. …

Gov response: The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Recommendation implemented HMRC has written to the Committee alongside this Treasury Minute response. HMRC is well positioned to take advantage of emerging technologies, particularly AI, to modernise operations, …

#5 — Require HMRC to research customer needs and design appropriate digital tax systems.

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: It is of the utmost importance that HMRC learns lessons from its experience of implementing Making Tax Digital (MTD) and puts customer needs at the heart of plans to improve digital services. The previous Public Accounts Committee reported in 2023 …

Gov response: The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Recommendation implemented HMRC conducts regular research with customers to understand their needs and perspectives. HMRC’s Government Social Researchers conduct qualitative and quantitative research, including nationally representative surveys, with …

HMICFRS Recommendations (3)

PEEL 2023-25 CoC Recommendations: Lincolnshire Police

Cause of concern: The force needs to improve its understanding of demand. Recommendation: Within six months from the date of publication of this letter, Lincolnshire Police should make sure senior leaders can access accurate data and analysis so they can …

PEEL 2023-25 CoC Recommendations: Lincolnshire Police

Cause of concern: The force needs to improve its understanding of demand. Recommendation: Within six months from the date of publication of this letter, Lincolnshire Police should make sure project teams have effective governance in place to oversee change programmes …

PEEL 2021-22 CoC Recommendations: Gloucestershire Constabulary

Cause of concern: The force does not have adequate financial plans in place and is not managing its resources effectively. Recommendation: Gloucestershire Constabulary should make sure it has enough capacity to manage its finances effectively and that its senior leaders …

ICIBI Immigration Recommendations (4)

An inspection of Border Force’s fast parcels operations (May–July 2023)

Introduce a digital solution to record all fast parcels examinations in real time, including the reasons for examinations to provide managers with sufficient management information to plan and assure activity.

An inspection of asylum casework (August 2020 – May 2021)

Expedite ‘Transformation’ plans specifically relating to the creation of a new digital case prioritisation and allocation tool, and the substantive interview appointment booking tool

An inspection of asylum casework (June - October 2023)

Expedite ‘Transformation’ plans specifically relating to the creation of a new digital case prioritisation and allocation tool, and the substantive interview appointment booking tool

An inspection of the Home Office’s use of age assessments (July 2024 …

The Home Office’s Digital, Data, and Technology Team, and others as necessary, should review and agree the NAAB’s IT requirements as a matter of urgency, allocating the necessary funding and …

NAO Audit Recommendations (95) — showing 50 strongest matches

Digital transformation in government: addressing the barriers to efficiency

CDDO should c) continue to push for central reforms in the way digital change is justified, funded and procured and work with policymakers, who often do not have the digital skills to understand how digital services work, to improve policy-making …

Digital transformation in government: addressing the barriers to efficiency

CDDO should b) increase its capability-building through formal training and mentoring support to help senior non-specialist leaders develop their understanding of government's operating environment and the constraints posed by legacy data and systems

Using data analytics to tackle fraud and error

Recommendation 8: The Public Sector Fraud Authority should work with the Government Digital Service to publish a playbook on how public bodies can develop the multidisciplinary team and capability to develop and deploy counter-fraud data analytics.

Using data analytics to tackle fraud and error

Recommendation 2: The Public Sector Fraud Authority should maintain a library of digital counter-fraud controls that public bodies can use to find ways to address their fraud risks. This should show the returns on investment that other public bodies have …

Using data analytics to tackle fraud and error

Recommendation 1: The Public Sector Fraud Authority (PSFA) should set out a plan for how it will support public bodies across government to make best use of data analytics to tackle fraud and error. In putting this plan together, PSFA …

Government's approach to technology suppliers: addressing the challenges

g) strengthen their intelligent client function for digital change to identify and develop key requirements before tenders and bid processes commence, improve how policymakers and technical specialists work together with procurement specialists, and ensure that digital specialists take the lead …

Government's approach to technology suppliers: addressing the challenges

Individual departments and public bodies should: f) ensure that CDIOs are responsible for overseeing commercial contracting involving technology suppliers, supported by their own departmental digital commercial teams. Large digital change programmes should not have business cases approved and contracts agreed …

Government's approach to technology suppliers: addressing the challenges

e) address recruitment shortfalls and develop a plan to better equip and train decision-makers with responsibility for initiating digital commercial and contracting. This should include education on legacy data and systems, the importance of understanding the business requirement at a …

Customer service

e. HMRC should develop a plan for how it will support customers to use and keep using digital services. Deflection methods may be justified where queries can be fully handled digitally, but HMRC must also be more proactive in helping …

Partially accepted

Customer service

[On developing a more customer-orientated approach;} c. HMRC should ensure it understands how new digital services will support the shift from telephone and correspondence, and manage increasingly complex queries. When developing and introducing new digital services, HMRC should be clear …

Partially accepted

Digital transformation in government: addressing the barriers to efficiency

Departments should h) appoint senior service owners for all major services with accountability for the full end to end service, decision making authority to deliver all aspects, and responsibility for developing operating and continually improving the service

Digital transformation in government: addressing the barriers to efficiency

Departments should i) establish an approach to stop new services being built on the existing costly and inefficient legacy foundations

Digital transformation in government: addressing the barriers to efficiency

Departments should f) appoint at least one non-executive director with digital, data and technology expertise

Digital transformation in government: addressing the barriers to efficiency

CDDO should e) review what departments can realistically achieve in terms of closing their skills gap and keep the scope of Roadmap activities under continuous review to ensure it matches available resources, accepting that prioritisation may be necessary

Digital transformation in government: addressing the barriers to efficiency

Departments should g) ensure that membership of their most senior decision-making board includes at least one senior digital leader

The challenges in implementing digital change

h) produce departmental strategies and plans for how to manage the legacy IT estate so that maintenance, support and decommissioning are systematically addressed and required funding is ringfenced; and

The challenges in implementing digital change

f) strengthen their intelligent client function for digital change including identifying and developing key requirements before tenders and bid processes commence and taking the lead on supplier engagement;

Using data analytics to tackle fraud and error

Recommendation 10: a) The Public Sector Fraud Authority should report to Parliament on whether it believes updated legislation is required to make the best use of data analytics to tackle fraud and error; b) the Department for Science, Innovation & …

Using data analytics to tackle fraud and error

Recommendation 7: a) The Public Sector Fraud Authority (PSFA) and the Government Digital Service (GDS)should build on the Digital Economy Act 2017 data-sharing process to introduce a managed process to support public bodies to share data. This managed process should …

Using data analytics to tackle fraud and error

Recommendation 6: The Public Sector Fraud Authority and the Government Digital Service (GDS) should maintain an overview of the key datasets required to support most fraud and error data analytics, and work with the bodies that maintain those datasets to …

Using data analytics to tackle fraud and error

Recommendation 5: a) The Public Sector Fraud Authority should review government functional standards and ?NOVA? standardised functional processes to make recommendations to other functions for where and how they could better tackle fraud and error; b) The Government Digital Service …

Government cyber resilience

Working in alignment with GSG?s government skills strategy, departments should make and enact plans to fill the cyber skills gaps in their workforces. Within the next year, they should: ? undertake a gap analysis of their current cyber workforce to …

Government's approach to technology suppliers: addressing the challenges

h) set up the capability needed to improve data and processes to inform decision-making, including a pipeline of supply and demand to help the centre of government in building a more strategic approach to suppliers.

Government's approach to technology suppliers: addressing the challenges

d) work with departments to identify what further negotiation levers they would find useful beyond headline volume and pricing agreements. This should include guidance for contracts for digital procurement setting out how best to navigate options and negotiate on aspects …

Government's approach to technology suppliers: addressing the challenges

c) identify what actions it needs to take to secure improvement in governance, processes, guidelines and supplier engagement, to ensure that contracts for different categories of digital activities reflect a planned approach that addresses the business problem to be solved;

Government's approach to technology suppliers: addressing the challenges

b) produce a sourcing strategy including how government is better able to maximise its ability to negotiate with ?big tech? and strategic suppliers;

Government's approach to technology suppliers: addressing the challenges

In view of government?s decision to locate responsibility for the digital centre in DSIT, to provide effective leadership for government?s digital commercial activities, the digital centre, GCF and CCS should consider who should take responsibility for addressing the issues in …

The Farming and Countryside Programme

d ensure continuing developments to the Programme?s digital and data infrastructure comply with Defra?s corporate digital and data principles and reduce reliance on legacy systems as soon as possible;

Customer service

i. HMRC should ensure a more consistent approach to introducing major service changes, particularly those to stop or reduce existing services. This approach should include: ? early engagement with stakeholders on potential service changes to anticipate the potential impact on …

Partially accepted

Customer service

[On introducing digital services:] h HMRC should identify and apply learning from the implementation of its digital projects, including using experienced practitioners to lead projects and designing services to handle complex customer journeys and needs from the outset. This approach …

Partially accepted

Customer service

g. HMRC should develop a better understanding of the costs and benefits of its services. This will enable HMRC to better prioritise and plan the services it replaces with digital services. As part of this HMRC should: ? develop accurate …

Partially accepted

Customer service

[On achieving savings;] f HMRC should reduce avoidable, unnecessary and expensive forms of contact. In particular, HMRC should: ? set a target to reduce the volume of failure demand affecting telephone and correspondence each year. It should measure separately failure …

Partially accepted

Customer service

d. HMRC should invest in raising awareness of its digital services. It should be clear with customers about what services are available and what tasks and queries customers can and cannot do digitally.

Partially accepted

Customer service

b. For future spending reviews, HMRC should only plan to realise staff reductions from changes to its digital services once improvements have taken effect and the benefits can be estimated with confidence.

NHS England’s modelling for the Long Term Workforce Plan

Recommendation 2: NHSE should improve documentation across the whole of the modelling pipeline to make it easier for future analysts to understand the modelling and any limitations, reproduce model outputs, and update the model when producing future versions.

NHS England’s modelling for the Long Term Workforce Plan

Recommendation 1: NHSE should develop a modelling pipeline whose different parts are fully integrated to avoid manual processing, and which creates the capability to more easily test and produce outputs for a wider range of policy options. The pipeline, or …

Digital transformation in government: addressing the barriers to efficiency

CDDO should a) continue to enlist proactive engagement and involvement from permanent secretaries in securing the support of senior leaders beyond the digital function

Digital transformation in government: addressing the barriers to efficiency

CDDO should d) work with HM Treasury to address the balance between capital and resource in departments' spending requirements

Managing central government property

c) The OGP should: ? take prompt and decisive action to establish its new property asset register, InSite, minimising additional cost to the taxpayer; and ? analyse how and why the inSite project has failed to meet its goals and …

The challenges in implementing digital change

i) ensure that agile principles and approaches are appropriately applied within the context of significant business programme change, for example by developing interim and target operating models, and having appropriate business and technical architecture in place.

The challenges in implementing digital change

g) maximise the chances of effective digital delivery by ensuring that business leaders have sufficient skills, commitment and time to engage in all aspects of governance and decision-making;

The challenges in implementing digital change

e) ensure senior digital, data and technology colleagues have wider influence on all change programmes with digital components, by providing strategic direction and oversight at key decision points in the process;

Department for Work and Pensions Annual Report and Accounts 2020-21

Perform an assessment of the fraud and error costs of using its legacy systems. The Department needs to understand the impact of not being able to make improvements to its control environment due to the inflexibility of its legacy IT …

Improving the performance of major equipment contracts

d) The Department should work with the Cabinet Office and HM Treasury to address shortfalls in vital contract and programme management skills. Differing levels of remuneration and terms of employment between different parts of the Department, between the Department and …

The Equipment Plan 2020-2030

The Department needs to focus on strengthening its analytical capacity. Continuing to develop staff with financial qualifications and improve its use of data would help it more effectively produce and analyse the Equipment Plan. It should identify and exploit opportunities …

Digital Services at the Border

c) continue to monitor its technical capability and skills to deliver the programme during rollout and urgently rectify any key shortfalls it identifies;

Immigration: Skilled Worker visas

Improve efficiency and customer service by using an analysis of its existing management information on operational performance, including from customer surveys, contacts, complaints and appeals, to produce a service improvement plan that identifies service issues, actions to resolve them, and …

NHS England’s modelling for the Long Term Workforce Plan

Recommendation 3: Given NHSE's commitment to update the LTWP at regular intervals, it should assign responsibility for understanding the entire modelling pipeline to a small team and ensure that there is sufficient knowledge of the Python and triangulation models available …

Lessons learned: tackling fraud and protecting propriety in government spending during an …

r) We recommend that the Cabinet Office and HM Treasury: seek to automate transparency over spending so publication requires little or no human involvement, building on current plans on contract awards following the Procurement Act 2023.

Managing government borrowing

d [1]. The government should ensure that it has plans to manage skills and capacity risks to its debt management operations. ? The DMO should implement a plan for mitigating the risks of losing key personnel. ? The NS&I should …

IMB Annual Reports (1)

Downview (2021)

HMP/YOI Downview operated under severe Covid-19 restrictions, leading to a significantly reduced regime with prisoners largely confined to cells for 22.5 hours a day. Despite these challenges, the Board found Downview to be a safe prison, with staff highly commended for their efforts in maintaining safety and humane treatment. Concerns persist regarding mental health provision, the impact of prolonged lockdown on prisoners' well-being, and the limited availability of purposeful activity and external support services.

PRISON Key concerns

IMB Recommendations (86) — showing 50 strongest matches

Invest in bringing the Prison Service into the 21st century, with the introduction of more widespread forms of electronic communication (for example, in-cell telephony, video contact with families, and so on).

Brinsford (2022)

The information technology (IT) at Brinsford is old and failing. While improvements were being discussed and due to be implemented in the 2022-23 reporting year, it needs to be noted that improvements are desperately needed. Hopefully the improvements and investments will improve many outcomes for staff and prisoners.

Thameside (2020)

The Director should address endemic facilities failures, including the unreliability and slow repair of the in-cell CMS, serially broken lifts, and the inadequate virtual campus system.

Governor / Director

Brinsford (2020)

Can the minister provide a date for the introduction of a new information technology system worthy of the 21st century, which can replace the current inefficient and cumbersome paper-based systems in place?

Ministry of Justice

Facilitate movement towards a computer-based approach to managing property.

Woodhill (2021)

To improve the speed of prison IT systems.

Guys Marsh (2021)

HMPPS should prioritize investing in more efficient IT systems to improve both staff efficiency and accurate, timely communication.

The Board recommends to the Prison Service that it reviews its decision not to resource a modern IT system to support property management and that it seeks appropriate IT solutions without further delay.

Thameside (2023)

The Board continues to have issues with IT accessibility for new members. The process for setting up new members with IT access is not transparent, involves a number of stages and invariably takes far too long – four to six weeks for some of our recent members.

Governor / Director

When will Hewell have access to IT for prisoners? This would be time-saving for staff and will empower prisoners to take responsibility for organising their prison life and activities. It will reduce frustration, delay, and lack of trust inherent in paper-based systems.

When will Hewell have IT access for prisoners? All prisons should allow direct access for prisoners to enable them to be self-directing and reduce the burden and mistrust of paper-based systems.

When will HMP Bristol have the information technology to enable prisoners to make applications online, reduce frustrations with existing paper systems and free up staff time?

Despite some improvement during the reporting year, the provision of equipment and connectivity to support digital training and web-based learning remains limited, with fewer computers, some work areas not Wi-Fi connected, and no extension of laptop provision. When will this be addressed?

Will the Minister ensure that all prisons and prisoners have access to IT systems to increase prisoners’ skills and chances of employment, to free up prison officer time spent on paper systems and to promote a fairer and more transparent regime?

Ministry of Justice

Tinsley House IRC (2020)

to continue to explore ways of providing tablet computers in the library at Tinsley House, to enable detainees to download materials, subject to appropriate security checks.

Governor / Director

You may remember that HMP Ford developed and extensively tested an innovative IT unit with limited and secure internet access which sat empty for two years. This unit could have been put to vital use during COVID-19 to enable prisoners to start the online registration for Universal Credit, search for employment in these trying times for the country prior to …

Cookham Wood (2020)

The lockdown highlighted Cookham Wood’s serious lack of IT facilities and telephone capacity. This greatly inhibited effective communication and planning with external agencies. What will be done to increase IT and telephone communication facilities in YOIs?

Consider how the library service is going to be maintained and developed in forthcoming years, given the need to facilitate internet access for prisoners.

Thorn Cross (2021)

In our report two years ago we commented on the need to upgrade the IT systems. They are no better. Too much time is wasted waiting for slow systems to respond.

Maidstone (2021)

Seek budget for the early implementation of in-cell telephony and better internet bandwidth.

Governor / Director

Foston Hall (2021)

Are there plans to address: the ongoing IT problems which result in lengthy delays in resolving problems and replacing broken equipment, undermining the efficient administration of the prison

Invest in an IT infrastructure, hardware and technical support which enables prisons to function more effectively and communicate with stakeholders and others in a more diverse and contemporary way (see 3.2.8).

Guys Marsh (2022)

The prison was to receive in-cell technology, now cancelled, so that everyday tasks could be carried out seamlessly by prisoners, and education programmes delivered effectively. Is there to be a review of that decision?

Downview (2022)

What actual progress has been made to implement an effective digital strategy for education, to ensure that digital devices are available within prisons and to ensure safe and secure access to the internet in the women’s estate?

only a full digitisation of the library catalogue will provide the sort of comparable access as is available in the wider community.

Governor / Director

Downview (2023)

lack of infrastructure for digital education.

When will B side prisoners have in-cell laptops that support study on remote learning courses such as the Open University?

When will A side education have a new management of information system (MIS)?

What is intended to be done to ensure that all prisoners receive digital technology assessment on their arrival and, if necessary, adequate digital training?

Governor / Director

Standford Hill (2025)

While we appreciate that the prison has tried to obtain authorisation for non-internet mobile phones, this needs to be pursued. The current telephony provision is inadequate.

Governor / Director

Standford Hill (2025)

The provision of PIN phones has been discussed for a very long time. It needs to be implemented to support relationships and rehabilitation.

Standford Hill (2025)

Technology to validate release on temporary licence (ROTL) has been suggested in previous reports - we believe this needs to be implemented to save significant staff costs.

Prisoners need access to digital technology to prepare themselves for re-entry to life in the community (7.1).

London short term holding facilities (STHF) (2025)

The Board would like the lack of signal in Terminal 2 to be urgently addressed, so that a translation device can be used to communicate with detained people.

Ministry of Justice

London short term holding facilities (STHF) (2025)

The Board would like to see access to Wi-Fi for detained people across all the holding rooms. The trial started late in the year and has been halted. We are pleased to note that there is the intention to restart the trial.

Ministry of Justice

When will Launchpad (a digital programme designed to enhance communications by providing prisoners with access to in-cell laptops and a range of digital services) be installed in HMP Bristol, as the IMB believes this will significantly reduce prisoner frustration and free up staff time to deliver an effective regime?

Derwentside (2022)

To improve the communications infrastructure for Derwentside.

Wandsworth (2020)

Is there an opportunity to invest in a national electronic prison property system that might replace the current archaic paper-based operation? This is an opportunity not only to save money and human resource, but also to ensure that prisoners have a fairer and more decent experience in prison.

Stoke Heath (2020)

The Board feels strongly that the paper-based system for tracking prisoners’ property is out of date and would benefit from technology investment.

Are there plans to increase the numbers of telephones for staff that can access the in-cell telephone system and increase the number of computers for staff?

Governor / Director

The Board is concerned that the Prison Service is currently failing to provide prisoners with the skills required for life in a digital age (7.1).

Maidstone (2021)

Finance appropriate technology services for IMBs as suggested by the IMB Secretariat.

The prison’s IT system is in desperate need of an upgrade. Use of the latest Microsoft packages would enable a more accurate, efficient and robust administration with quicker queries of data and responses to complaints. This would be of benefit to both staff and prisoners.

Downview (2021)

Update internal IT systems across the estate to reduce wasted staff time.

Downview (2021)

Develop an effective digital strategy for education to ensure digital devices are available within prisons and safe and secure access to the internet in the women’s estate.

What assistance can be given to IMB members to enable better access to technology within the prison so that members can easily access computer systems while onsite?

Governor / Director

Downview (2022)

Given the significant challenges posed by the lack of IT infrastructure in prison education and barriers created to enabling prisoners to be job-ready, how can digital access be expedited?

Ministry of Justice

Wing-based electronic kiosks should be provided on the wings.

The continuing failure to roll out digital technology to Send is unacceptable and amounts to unfair treatment for prisoners at Send.

Derwentside IRC (2023)

To improve the communications infrastructure for Derwentside

Detention Investigations (3)

Independent Investigation into Concerns about Brook House Immigration Removal Centre — Rec R32

G4S and the SMT should ensure that the welfare team has the technological and administrative support it needs. (To be completed within 6 months)

Immigration Detention

Assessment of government progress in implementing the report on the … — Rec 35

The Home Offce should encourage moves to develop a digital version of the ACDT document.

Immigration Detention

Review into the Welfare in Detention of Vulnerable Persons — Rec 26

I recommend that the Home Office consider how rapidly it can move towards a system of electronic record keeping for the PER and IS91RA.

Immigration Detention

PHSO Casework Decisions (10)

P-001705 — Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency

Mr A complains that DVLA took too long to change the address on his driving licence.

UK Government Jan 2023

P-003044 — HM Passport Office

Ms E complains about HM Passport Office’s online passport application form saying she was unable to fit her daughter’s full name in the relevant box, so felt forced to complete a paper application, which is more expensive.

UK Government Oct 2024

P-001358 — HM Courts & Tribunals Service

Mr A complains that HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS) sent two disclosure orders to the wrong party, he told us he lost valuable time in a court hearing as its staff were having difficulty using video technology and he says there were delays in its complaint response.

UK Government Apr 2022

P-002620 — Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency

Mr T complains that DVLA did not award an appropriate amount of financial remedy for the stress he experienced because of the handling of his renewal applications.

UK Government May 2024

P-002704 — Homes England

Mr M complains Homes England took too long to issue the Deed of Postponement he asked it for so he could remortgage his home.

UK Government Jun 2024

P-002662 — Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency

Mr B complains the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency failed to change his vehicle description to campervan/motor home after he made the alterations it specified.

UK Government Jun 2024

P-002822 — Office of the Public Guardian

Mr O complains the Office of the Public Guardian took too long to process his Lasting Power of Attorney application.

UK Government Jul 2024

P-003009 — HM Passport Office

Ms G complains HM Passport Office acted without any urgency in taking 11 weeks to issue an emergency passport in mid-2020.

UK Government Sep 2024

P-001807 — HM Courts and Tribunals Service

Miss A complains about how HMCTS handled her court case. She says it took two and a half years to refund her £80 court fee and she could not speak to anyone about making an online payment. She also complains HMCTS took eight months to send her the name of …

UK Government Feb 2023

P-001910 — Student Loans Company

Mr A complains SLC paid the first instalment of Miss A’s student loan into an incorrect bank account. Mr A also complains both he and Miss A experienced poor customer service when they contacted SLC to correct matters.

UK Government Mar 2023

LGO / SPSO Decisions (55)

21-016-564 — Transport for London

Summary: We will not investigate Mx X’s complaint that they had to pay a £2.50 congestion charge surcharge as a result of issues with Transport for London’s website. This is because the injustice Mx X claims is not significant.

LGO (Local Government & … Transport And Highways Mar 2022

21-016-397 — London Borough of Barnet

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s failure to make its local plan policies easily accessible in the local libraries. Any fault has not caused the complainant a significant personal injustice. And it is for the Planning Inspector to decide whether the Council’s consultation and plan are …

LGO (Local Government & … Planning Mar 2022

24-005-020 — Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about a failure by the Council’s computer system to migrate details of Mr X’s business when it changed systems. The Council notified Mr X and other service users of the change and asked them to check and to report any problems.

LGO (Local Government & … Education Sep 2024

25-000-042 — London Borough of Lambeth

Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about how the Council handled his business license application. The Council has apologised and is taking steps to improve its service.

LGO (Local Government & … Other Categories Upheld May 2025

24-009-831 — London Borough of Redbridge

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council misleading the complainant into paying for an unnecessary application for a Certificate of Lawfulness. The Council has offered to partially refund the fee, less an administrative charge. We consider this is a satisfactory remedy to the complaint.

LGO (Local Government & … Planning Upheld Nov 2024

25-018-552 — South Gloucestershire Council

Summary: We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint about the Council’s decision not to provide her information following her Subject Access Request because the Information Commissioner’s Office is better suited to consider the matter.

LGO (Local Government & … Other Categories Dec 2025

21-001-805 — London Borough of Enfield

Summary: Mr B says the Council failed to act to ensure its online reporting service works properly. There is no fault in how the Council dealt with Mr B’s concerns.

LGO (Local Government & … Other Categories Not Upheld Jan 2022

21-008-096 — London Borough of Hillingdon

Summary: The Council has acknowledged that it took too long to provide pre-application advice to Mrs B on her proposed planning application. However, the Council failed to consider the additional time and trouble she had been put to in pursuing matters, and it took too long to refund the fee …

LGO (Local Government & … Planning Upheld Jan 2022

21-016-097 — London Borough of Ealing

Summary: We will not investigate Mr B’s complaint about the Council’s delay responding to his freedom of information request. This is because it is reasonable for Mr B to complain to the Information Commissioner, and if needed, appeal to the tribunal.

LGO (Local Government & … Other Categories Feb 2022

22-001-643 — Luton Borough Council

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s response to a Subject Access Request. This is because the Information Commissioner’s Office is the appropriate body to deal with the complaint.

LGO (Local Government & … Other Categories May 2022

21-009-792 — Mendip District Council

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s failure to tell the complainant of progress of a planning enforcement case and associated matters. The complainant also says the Council failed to proactively upload documents to its website. It is unlikely that an investigation will lead to a different …

LGO (Local Government & … Planning Sep 2022

24-007-346 — Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about Mr X’s request for information. The Information Commissioner’s Office is the appropriate body to consider his complaint.

LGO (Local Government & … Other Categories Oct 2024

25-011-417 — London Borough of Redbridge

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint that the Council has failed to supply information Mr X has requested from it about its enforcement of a penalty charge notice as this is best dealt with by the Information Commissioner’s Office.

LGO (Local Government & … Other Categories Sep 2025

25-016-244 — Luton Borough Council

Summary: We will not investigate Mr Y’s complaint about how the Council handled his request for information. The Information Commissioner is better placed to consider this issue.

LGO (Local Government & … Other Categories Dec 2025

25-016-097 — Halton Borough Council

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s failure to provide information Mr X has requested. This is because this is a matter better placed for the Information Commissioner’s Office.

LGO (Local Government & … Other Categories Jan 2026

21-016-921 — Derbyshire County Council

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint that the Council has failed to properly respond to Mr X’s requests for information as this is a matter for the Information Commissioner’s Office.

LGO (Local Government & … Other Categories Feb 2022

21-017-977 — Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council

Mr X says the Council has failed to answer his Freedom of Information request properly. We will not investigate this complaint. This is because it is reasonable for Mr X to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office as the most appropriate authority for his complaint.

LGO (Local Government & … Other Categories Mar 2022

22-000-520 — Plymouth City Council

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint that the Council has not provided information Mr X has requested about how many penalty charge notices it has issued to motorists for parking across dropped kerbs as this is best dealt with by the Information Commissioner’s Office.

LGO (Local Government & … Transport And Highways May 2022

22-001-222 — St Helens Metropolitan Borough Council

Summary: We will not investigate Mr B’s complaint about the Council’s delay responding to his freedom of information request. This is because it is reasonable for Mr B to complain to the Information Commissioner.

LGO (Local Government & … Other Categories May 2022

22-008-232 — Canterbury City Council

Summary: We will not investigate Mrs B’s complaint that the Council has not provided documents she requested under the Freedom of Information Act. This is because it is reasonable for Mrs B to complain to the Information Commissioner, and if needed, put in an appeal to the tribunal for information …

LGO (Local Government & … Other Categories Sep 2022

22-010-755 — North Norfolk District Council

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s description of a planning application on its planning database. This is because the complaint does not meet the tests in our Assessment Code on how we decide which complaints to investigate. There are insufficient reasons to exercise discretion to consider …

LGO (Local Government & … Planning Nov 2022

23-018-472 — Westmorland and Furness Council

Summary: We will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint about the Council’s planning advice service. This is because the Council has provided a suitable remedy for its delay and it is unlikely investigation would achieve anything more for her. If Mrs X wants a binding decision on her proposal she may …

LGO (Local Government & … Planning Upheld Mar 2024

23-020-023 — Ashfield District Council

Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about the Council’s pre-application planning advice service. This is because the Council has dealt with Mr X’s request and provided advice on his proposal and there is not enough evidence of fault to warrant a refund of the fee.

LGO (Local Government & … Planning Mar 2024

23-014-921 — Sheffield City Council

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about advice Mr X says he received from the Council concerning his new business venture. This is because an investigation is unlikely to add to that already carried out by the Council or lead to a different outcome.

LGO (Local Government & … Other Categories Apr 2024

24-001-350 — Swindon Borough Council

Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint that a Council has failed to provide him with a recording of a meeting it held with him. This is because it is better dealt with by the Information Commissioner's Office.

LGO (Local Government & … Other Categories May 2024

24-001-339 — Elmbridge Borough Council

Summary: We will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint that the Council has failed to provide her information under the Environmental Information Regulations. This is because it is better dealt with by the Information Commissioner's Office.

LGO (Local Government & … Other Categories May 2024

24-001-500 — London Borough of Camden

Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint that he could not open an encrypted email sent by the Council. There is insufficient evidence of fault to warrant an investigation.

LGO (Local Government & … Other Categories May 2024

24-005-697 — London Borough of Hounslow

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about an online form as there is insufficient evidence of fault causing injustice to Mr X.

LGO (Local Government & … Benefits And Tax Sep 2024

24-006-355 — Milton Keynes Council

Summary: We cannot investigate Mr X’s complaint about the Council not taking responsibility for the maintenance of an access road leading to the school for which she works. Mrs X has brought the complaint on behalf of the school, which is a public body created for purposes of public service. …

LGO (Local Government & … Transport And Highways Sep 2024

25-008-688 — London Borough of Hackney

Summary: We will not investigate Mr B’s complaint about the Council not providing information he has requested about Council spending. This is because Mr B may complain to the Information Commissioner, and if needed, appeal to the tribunal.

LGO (Local Government & … Other Categories Jul 2025

25-008-570 — Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about Miss X not being able to contact the library directly rather having to go through a call centre. This is because there is insufficient evidence of significant injustice. Additionally, we cannot achieve the outcome she is looking for.

LGO (Local Government & … Other Categories Aug 2025

24-011-722 — Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea

Summary: We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint about the Council not doing enough to provide adequate Wi-Fi network at a large public event. It is unlikely we would find fault and otherwise there is no worthwhile outcome we can achieve.

LGO (Local Government & … Other Categories Oct 2024

24-000-151 — Uttlesford District Council

Summary: Mr X complained that between March 2023 and February 2024 the Council mismanaged its waste collection service resulting in many missed bin collections from his property. The Council accepts its service fell below expected standards during this period but has now provided additional resources and the service is operating …

LGO (Local Government & … Environment And Regulation Upheld Oct 2024

24-009-180 — Birmingham City Council

Summary: Mr B complains he could not view or pay his council tax on his online account with the Council for around two years, due to a system fault the Council did not notice. He also complains the Council gave him wrong advice which resulted in enforcement action being taken …

LGO (Local Government & … Benefits And Tax Not Upheld Dec 2024

24-016-682 — London Borough of Waltham Forest

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about a ‘right to buy’ application. Mrs X could reasonably have taken court action. It is unlikely we could reach a clear enough view on matters concerning the ‘right to buy’ application. It is more appropriate for the Information Commissioner and Tribunal to …

LGO (Local Government & … Housing Dec 2024

201003492 — Student Awards Agency for Scotland

Mr C is an immigrant to the UK, who is studying here and who also has a job. When he applied for an allowance for 2010/11 for living costs support (payable to migrant workers) this was refused, although he had received the allowance the year before. He complained that, in …

SPSO (Scottish Public Se… Scottish Government and Devolved Administration Not Upheld Jul 2011

201205087 — Registers of Scotland

Mrs C's mother purchased parts of a property a few weeks before her death. The application to transfer title was, however, incorrectly submitted and Mrs C's mother was registered as proprietor of the whole property, rather than only parts of it. Mrs C's mother's solicitors realised the error when they …

SPSO (Scottish Public Se… Scottish Government and Devolved Administration Not Upheld Jun 2013

201105518 — Business Stream

A number of years ago, Mr C bought a field next to a farm. The field was served by a water trough. He said that although he considered the water bills to be high, it was only in 2010 that he established that the supply was a joint one with …

SPSO (Scottish Public Se… Outcome: Upheld Sep 2013

201203466 — Business Stream

Mr C complained that Business Stream's handling of his requests for water connections at the business park he owned had not been reasonable. He said that he had faced delays in having some of the units at the business park connected for water. In addition, he considered that Business Stream …

SPSO (Scottish Public Se… Water Oct 2013

201508064 — The City of Edinburgh Council

Mr C complained to us about a statutory notice on his property. He complained that the council had failed to act on his assertion that his property had been damaged by the contractors carrying out the statutory notice work and that a breakdown of costs had not been provided to …

SPSO (Scottish Public Se… Local Government Not Upheld Feb 2017

24-017-612 — Transport for London

Summary: The Authority delayed processing Mr X’s private hire driver’s licence application for over two years. It was also at fault in its communications with Mr X. This caused Mr X uncertainty and frustration, put him to time and trouble, and delayed his ability to work in his chosen job. …

LGO (Local Government & … Environment And Regulation Upheld Dec 2025

25-011-770 — London Borough of Hackney

Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about how the Council has dealt with his requests for information. This is because the Information Commissioner is better placed to deal with the matter.

LGO (Local Government & … Other Categories Dec 2025

21-015-138 — London Borough of Havering

Summary: We cannot investigate this complaint about Penalty Charge Notices. This is because Mr Y has used his right to appeal so we cannot investigate.

LGO (Local Government & … Transport And Highways Feb 2022

21-014-916 — Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the wrong refuse collection date being shown on the Council’s website, and the failure to collect the complainant’s refuse for a further two weeks. This is because the complaint does not meet the tests in our Assessment Code on how we decide …

LGO (Local Government & … Environment And Regulation Feb 2022

21-015-444 — London Borough of Newham

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about a Penalty Charge Notice. This is because it is reasonable to expect Mr Y to appeal to the London Tribunals.

LGO (Local Government & … Transport And Highways Feb 2022

21-011-201 — Torbay Council

Summary: We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint the Council took debt recovery action for a penalty charge notice debt after it accepted she was not the owner of the vehicle. The Council has taken appropriate action by apologising and cancelling the charge. It will make a payment to Ms …

LGO (Local Government & … Transport And Highways Upheld Feb 2022

21-018-973 — Kent County Council

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about information on a Council website as any fault by the Council has not caused significant injustice to the complainant.

LGO (Local Government & … Other Categories Apr 2022

22-000-640 — Somerset West and Taunton Council

Summary: We will not investigate Mr B’s complaint about a Freedom of Information request. This is because it is reasonable for Mr B to complain to the Information Commissioner, and if needed, appeal to the tribunal.

LGO (Local Government & … Other Categories Apr 2022

22-007-450 — Essex County Council

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about providing proof of address or identity to use the recycling centres. This is because there is insufficient evidence of injustice and the complainant can complain to the Information Commissioner.

LGO (Local Government & … Environment And Regulation Sep 2022

24-003-687 — Dorset Council

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about a request for information. The Information Commissioner’s Office is best placed to consider the matter and we could not achieve anything of value.

LGO (Local Government & … Other Categories Jul 2024

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