Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 27
27
Accepted
Electronic monitoring expansion faces past performance issues with Serco, but improvements are now expected.
Recommendation
MoJ and HMPPS’s plans also involve a significant increase in the use of electronic monitoring. MoJ told us that the number of people on electronic monitoring has doubled in recent years, from around 10,000 people in 2020 to 26,600 in September 2025.61 It expects the number of people monitored to increase by up to 22,000 people.62 However, MoJ and HMPPS confirmed that the performance of Serco, its main contractor providing the electronic monitoring service, had not met expectations since May 2024. They explained that there was a backlog in fitting tags, but that the backlog was cleared by November 2024. They told us that Serco’s performance had “dramatically improved” since, and told us that they expect Serco to meet its key performance indicators by February 2026.63 59 RPS0006 60 Qq 102, 103 61 Qq 47, 90 62 GOV.UK, Press release, Tens of thousands more to be tagged under biggest ever expansion 63 Qq 90–95 18
Government Response Summary
MoJ and HMPPS will write to the Committee within six months of the Committee’s report to provide an update on Serco performance against its key performance indicators regarding the electronic monitoring service and fitting tags.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
6a. PAC recommendation: MoJ and HMPPS should write to the Committee within six months setting out how Serco is performing against its key performance indicators, with regard to the electronic monitoring service and fitting tags. 6.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: August 2026 6.2 MoJ and HMPPS will respond to the Committee within six months of the Committee’s report to provide an update on Serco performance against its key performance indicators, regarding the electronic monitoring service and fitting tags.