Recommendation 9

We recommended in March 2025 that government’s planned digital and AI roadmap should be underpinned by a implementation plan with clear accountabilities, delivery milestones, and metrics to allow progress to be tracked.19 The NAO report echoed this, further recommending that the PSFA publish a plan setting out how it will support public bodies across government to make the best use of data analytics to tackle fraud and error.20 DSIT published its Roadmap for modern digital government in January 2026, some six months later than was originally intended and 10 Q 26 11 C&AG’s Report, para 1.4 12 Q 5 13 Q 5 14 Qq 8-10 15 Qq 13-14 16 Q 26 17 Q 35 18 Q 85 19 Committee of Public Accounts, Use of AI in Government, Eighteenth report of session 2024–25, HC 356, March 2025, recommendation 6a 20 C&AG’s Report, Recommendation 1 10 around a week after our evidence session for this inquiry.21 While the strategy does mention some of the key issues such as enabling better use of AI and replacing outdated IT systems, it contains few concrete milestones to measure progress against and has little to say about using technology to combat fraud and error or what DSIT’s responsibility will be in this area. 21 HMG, A roadmap for modern digital government, January 2026 11 2 Overcoming barriers to achieving savings Digital capability and leadership