Recommendations & Conclusions
28 items
2
Recommendation
Twenty-First Report: Transforming elect…
Not Addressed
HMPPS remains reliant on outdated technology which puts the tagging service at risk of failing. Due to the prolonged delays in the programme, HMPPS is relying on legacy technology and will have to use its current case management system until at least 2024, which will cost £9.8 million for remediation …
Government response. The government provides a response related to air quality standards, which is completely unrelated to the recommendation about HMPPS's outdated technology and electronic monitoring systems.
HM Treasury
3
Recommendation
Twenty-First Report: Transforming elect…
Not Addressed
HMPPS has failed to provide police forces and the Probation Service with timely access to the tagging information they need to effectively supervise offenders and protect the public. HMPPS expected Gemini and the user portal to enhance probation officers’ supervision of offenders and improve public protection by providing: a single …
Government response. The government states that local authorities are responsible for developing their own Clean Air Plans. This is not related to the recommendation about HMPPS.
HM Treasury
4
Recommendation
Twenty-First Report: Transforming elect…
Rejected
It is unacceptable that HMPPS still does not know if or how tagging reduces reoffending, and it has been too slow to improve data. Despite our previous recommendations, HMPPS still does not know the impact of tagging. The Ministry recognises that evaluation of the transformation programme was not as strong …
Government response. The government states it holds robust information on spend for its two air quality programmes and cannot justify the disproportionate level of resource required to disaggregate the amount of spend driving air quality benefits for each of these policies. This …
HM Treasury
5
Recommendation
Twenty-First Report: Transforming elect…
Not Addressed
HMPPS’s innovative use of technology in its expansion projects has yielded some encouraging early results. HMPPS has achieved some initial positive results from using new technology in its alcohol monitoring scheme and acquisitive crime Transforming electronic monitoring services 7 project. For example, offenders have had high short-term sobriety rates while …
Government response. The government has consulted on a revised National Air Pollution Control Programme (NAPCP) which includes robust actionable measures for further consideration to deliver compliance with the 2030 targets for all air pollutants. This is not related to the recommendation about …
HM Treasury
6
Recommendation
Twenty-First Report: Transforming elect…
Not Addressed
HMPPS’s poor track record in its transformation programme does not inspire confidence that it will be well-equipped to handle risks in its £1.2 billion expansion programme. HMPPS is re-procuring contracts to run the electronic monitoring service. It is attempting to apply lessons and reduce delivery risks, for example by using …
Government response. The government provides a response related to air pollution control, which is completely unrelated to the recommendation about HMPPS's contract procurement for electronic monitoring and risk management.
HM Treasury
1
Conclusion
Twenty-First Report: Transforming elect…
Not Addressed
On the basis of a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General, we took evidence from the Ministry of Justice (the Ministry) and HM Prison & Probation Service (HMPPS) on HMPPS’s electronic monitoring (‘tagging’) transformation programme.1
Government response. The government states that information is effectively communicated to the public. They launched an Air Quality Information System (AQIS) Review to ensure members of the public, and vulnerable groups, have what they need to protect themselves and understand their impact …
HM Treasury
7
Conclusion
Twenty-First Report: Transforming elect…
Acknowledged
The Ministry and HMPPS told us that they have learnt lessons from pursuing technology which have to be developed from scratch. HMPPS took a detailed and prescriptive approach to setting requirements for Gemini. This introduced complexity and inflexibility, and limited innovation in the programme.11 The Ministry told us that at …
Government response. The government states that it anticipated that the contract will be let by the end of 2022 and will inform the Committee when this has happened, but does not commit to specific changes in response to lessons learned.
HM Treasury
8
Conclusion
Twenty-First Report: Transforming elect…
Witnesses admitted there should have been stronger governance and more scrutiny of the programme from the Ministry of Justice. In late 2019, HMPPS prepared an 6 Q 90 7 Q 17 8 Qq 21, 26; C&AG’s report, para 3 9 Q 20; C&AG’s report, para 3.4 10 Q 22; C&AG’s …
HM Treasury
9
Recommendation
Twenty-First Report: Transforming elect…
Accepted
Both the Ministry and HMPPS told us that they had learnt lessons from weaknesses in governance and scrutiny in the programme. The Ministry explained that a lack of scrutiny can be the nature of big departments with a small corporate centre and multiple agencies. Often project teams did not know …
Government response. The government states that the Investment Committee has delegated powers to make decisions on portfolio projects. It also states that an improved control framework was introduced in November 2021 and governance structures were strengthened during 2021-22.
HM Treasury
10
Conclusion
Twenty-First Report: Transforming elect…
Accepted in Part
HMPPS intended Gemini to replace the current case management system (‘Integrity’) which had been in use since 2012 and must now be relied on until 2024. The NAO found that many of its applications were no longer supported by manufacturers and had severe risks, including outdated and vulnerable hardware and …
Government response. The government is undertaking a technical refresh, including replacing tablet applications and addressing IT health check findings, but the completion date has been moved to March 2023 due to prioritising expansion of the EM service.
HM Treasury
11
Conclusion
Twenty-First Report: Transforming elect…
Accepted in Part
The telephone system Capita uses in the live service for its operations—including contacting offenders—has been in place since 2005. Since May 2021, there have been six 13 Q 24; C&AG’s report, paras 3.6–3.7 14 Q 36 15 Qq 33, 36 16 Qq 24, 37–38 17 C&AG’s report, paras 2.22–2.23 18 …
Government response. The government is undertaking a technical refresh, including replacing tablet applications and addressing IT health check findings, but the completion date has been moved to March 2023 due to prioritising expansion of the EM service.
HM Treasury
12
Conclusion
Twenty-First Report: Transforming elect…
Accepted
HMPPS’s failure to deliver Gemini also means that police forces and the Probation Service lack timely access to tagging data to investigate crime, supervise offenders and protect the public.20 HMPPS expected Gemini and the user portal to provide a range of benefits for stakeholders, including: a single version of case …
Government response. The government agrees to improve the timeliness of responses to requests from probation practitioners for GPS location monitoring data by March 2023, and to review the process by which police officers make requests for information from the EM supplier by …
HM Treasury
13
Conclusion
Twenty-First Report: Transforming elect…
We asked why government was not exploring mobile phone GPS technology or identity scanning software, such as fingerprint scanning used by banks. HMPPS explained that the challenge of using mobile phones in tagging is that they would not be solely used for this purpose, and that phones could be linked …
HM Treasury
14
Recommendation
Twenty-First Report: Transforming elect…
Accepted
In 2006, our Committee found that there was insufficient evidence available to determine whether tagging helped to reduce re-offending or promote rehabilitation. We recommended that the Home Office—which previously managed tagging services— should carry out research to establish the role that electronic monitoring could play in minimising reoffending and make …
Government response. The government agrees with the committee’s recommendation and will use EM data to inform reporting. They will also implement a benefits management strategy and realisation plan by April 2023 and develop a formal evaluation strategy for EM.
HM Treasury
15
Conclusion
Twenty-First Report: Transforming elect…
Accepted
The Ministry admitted that its evaluation in the transformation programme was not as strong as it should have been and recognised that it needed to put more effort into evaluation going forward. It told us that it was extending its team of analysts in its expansion programme, from three to …
Government response. The government agrees to improve its evaluation of electronic monitoring programs, including rigorous evaluation of long-term impacts on reoffending, and outlines specific actions like improved data collection, a benefits management strategy, and a formal evaluation strategy.
HM Treasury
16
Conclusion
Twenty-First Report: Transforming elect…
We asked HMPPS what information it shared with the judiciary to inform their sentencing choices. It explained that it had an extensive programme of engagement in place to ensure judges and magistrates were aware of available services. However, it told us that there were significant variations in the use of …
HM Treasury
17
Conclusion
Twenty-First Report: Transforming elect…
The NAO found persistent issues in the quality and availability of HMPPS’s data on tagging, including inefficient processes, poor-quality data, limited data capture and access, and siloed data and systems. In particular, HMPPS only captured data on offenders’ age and gender.30 We asked witnesses whether they intended to capture more …
HM Treasury
18
Conclusion
Twenty-First Report: Transforming elect…
In 2020, HMPPS launched a tagging expansion programme to widen the use of tagging to different groups of offenders. As part of the programme, it aims to: develop a flexible and scalable service; build the evidence base to demonstrate the effectiveness of electronic monitoring; be “data driven”; be led by …
HM Treasury
19
Recommendation
Twenty-First Report: Transforming elect…
HMPPS launched alcohol monitoring services in October 2020 for offenders sentenced in the community. In November 2021 and June 2022, it extended the scheme to include those leaving prison, in Wales and in England respectively. Alcohol tags measure alcohol concentration in sweat and send an alert if the wearer has …
HM Treasury
20
Conclusion
Twenty-First Report: Transforming elect…
HMPPS launched an acquisitive crime pilot in April 2021 to impose location monitoring on prison leavers convicted for theft, burglary or robbery offences. The 19 police forces participating in the pilot send data on alleged acquisitive offenders to HMPPS’s system, which compares this with GPS location data to assist forces’ …
HM Treasury
21
Conclusion
Twenty-First Report: Transforming elect…
HMPPS launched its Home Office Immigration Enforcement project, on behalf of the Home Office, in August 2021. This project extended the use of tagging using GPS tags to Foreign National Offenders who are subject to deportation proceedings. HMPPS rolled out standard fitted tags on schedule, but both it and G4S …
HM Treasury
22
Conclusion
Twenty-First Report: Transforming elect…
Given its poor experience of developing bespoke technology in its transformation programme, HMPPS told us that it was “very cautious” about commissioning further novel solutions. For example, while tags which monitor multiple drugs at the same time are currently unavailable on the market, it wanted to explore advances in drug …
HM Treasury
23
Conclusion
Twenty-First Report: Transforming elect…
Accepted
In parallel with managing its expansion projects, HMPPS is undertaking a re- procurement for its contracts with companies to run the tagging services. HMPPS has relied on Capita’s ‘bridge’ contract throughout its transformation programme. This was only intended to be a temporary arrangement until HMPPS launched its new service through …
Government response. The government agrees with the recommendation and states that the procurement of new contracts is being run in compliance with The Sourcing Playbook, and risks are managed in accordance with the EM Portfolio Risk Management Strategy. They will update the …
HM Treasury
24
Conclusion
Twenty-First Report: Transforming elect…
Not Addressed
HMPPS told us it had learnt lessons from its transformation programme and was applying these to its re-procurement of its contracts to deliver tagging services. In addition to pursuing off-the-shelf systems, it told us that it had decided to limit the number of suppliers in its new model to two. …
Government response. The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation and provides general risk management and procurement processes for the electronic monitoring contracts but does not address the substance of the recommendation.
HM Treasury
25
Conclusion
Twenty-First Report: Transforming elect…
Accepted
We questioned HMPPS on what it saw as the biggest risks in the expansion programme. HMPPS told us that it is challenging reprocuring the service as it is changing and as the number of tagged people is increasing. It explained that it has been managing this in different ways, such …
Government response. The government states that project risks are managed according to the EM Portfolio Risk Management Strategy and that the procurement of new contracts is being run in compliance with the government standard, The Sourcing Playbook.
HM Treasury
26
Recommendation
Twenty-First Report: Transforming elect…
Accepted
Earlier in its transformation programme, HMPPS outsourced the role of systems and services integrator to Capita, which involved pulling together suppliers’ work to deliver an end-to-end tagging service.48 In 2017, we examined earlier progress in the programme. We found that this arrangement failed as, in part, the Ministry did not …
Government response. The government states that project risks are managed according to the EM Portfolio Risk Management Strategy and that the procurement of new contracts is being run in compliance with the government standard, The Sourcing Playbook.
HM Treasury
27
Conclusion
Twenty-First Report: Transforming elect…
Acknowledged
In early 2022, HMPPS decided to outsource this role again in its re-procurement and transition to the new service. The NAO outlined areas where HMPPS will need to be prepared to manage risks with this approach, including: • Parties having different interpretations of what the integrator role involves and where …
Government response. Project risks are managed in accordance with the EM Portfolio Risk Management Strategy, new contracts are being procured in compliance with government standards, and suppliers will be managed by the EM contract management team.
HM Treasury
28
Conclusion
Twenty-First Report: Transforming elect…
Not Addressed
We asked HMPPS whether it will be prepared to step in to handle any problems arising from this approach. It told us that it was ready to step in and had strengthened its governance and is holding regular meetings with potential suppliers.53 51 C&AG’s report, para 10 52 C&AG’s report, …
Government response. The government describes its general risk management and procurement processes for the electronic monitoring contracts but does not specifically address how it will step in to handle problems arising from the approach as the committee asked.
HM Treasury