Recommendation 23

We asked the Department what it is doing to improve data flows across different parts of the criminal justice system. The Department told us that joining up data across the system is a priority.49 It has recruited an additional director of analysis and is recruiting a director-general of performance strategy and analysis to improve its grip on data as well as a director-general of service delivery and change to lead on delivery in digital transformation.50 The Department said that it is also a focus of a criminal justice action group that brings together permanent secretaries of the Department, the Home Office and Crown Prosecution Service.51 HMCTS added that it is also investing in a team to analyse data, both for managing HMCTS and to feed into the Department’s broader data capabilities.52 42 Qq94–97 43 Association of Police and Crime Commissioners (RBC0004) 44 Q99; Dr Natalie Byrom, Digital Justice: HMCTS data strategy and delivering access to justice, Report and recommendations, October 2019 45 Legal Education Foundation (RBC0009) 46 Qq99–100 47 Q82 48 Committee of Public Accounts; Transforming courts and tribunals; 56th Report of Session 2017–19, HC 976, 20 July 2018 49 Q87 50 Qq84, 101–102 51 Q84 52 Q87 14 Reducing the backlog in criminal courts