Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 5
5
Not Addressed
HMPPS’s innovative use of technology in its expansion projects has yielded some encouraging early results.
Recommendation
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 being tagged, although HMPPS did not explain how it will be able to monitor longer- term abstinence or whether the scheme reduces alcohol-fuelled offending. HMPPS’s acquisitive crime project has helped to secure 30 charges for theft, burglary or robbery and it claims that participating police forces value the scheme. However, HMPPS’s early experience in delivering non-fitted monitoring devices for Foreign National Offenders was much less positive, as the system was discovered not to be compliant with cyber security standards. It has created an £18.5 million innovation fund which will help it explore further tagging options, including a possible drugs tag. In order to ensure that HMPPS protects taxpayers’ interests, we expect it to rigorously apply learning from its experience of developing and using new technology as it continues to expand tagging services. Recommendation: In its Treasury Minute response, HMPPS should explain how it will apply lessons from its tagging expansion projects to future schemes, including the forthcoming project for tagging domestic abusers.
Government Response Summary
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 HMPPS.
Government Response
Not Addressed
HM Government
Not Addressed
The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation Recommendation implemented 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. Responses to the consultation are currently being carefully considered. Strong governance arrangements regarding Air Quality policies are already in place. The draft revised NAPCP sets out wide-ranging policies and measures to be considered further to drive emission reductions across to meet the 2030 emission reduction ceilings for five key pollutants. These sectors include domestic combustion, industry, agriculture and transport. It is based on analysis that includes estimates of pollutant emissions reductions of existing decarbonisation policies as well as air pollution measures. The responsibility for these measures rests with different departments across government. As the NAPCP is UK wide, the government has also included measures which are the responsibility of Scottish Government, Welsh Government and the Northern Ireland Executive. In particular, the government took an integrated approach by making sure DfT and the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) work closely together. Policies and proposals relating to road transport and decarbonisation have been considered from the following strategies: • the Net Zero Strategy (HM Government) • the Reducing Car Use for a healthier, fairer and Greener Scotland • the Clean Air plan for Wales and the Net Zero Wales: Carbon budget 2 The draft revised NAPCP was subject to a six-week consultation, that ran from 25 July to 4 September 2022. All consultation responses are currently being carefully considered.