Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 10
10
We asked how the Department allocated resources across the immigration system and heard that this...
Conclusion
We asked how the Department allocated resources across the immigration system and heard that this relies upon the judgements of senior staff rather than direct evidence. The Department explained that a “dearth of information” on some immigration enforcement activities meant it is not possible to assess the outcomes of deploying resources from one part of the system to another.20 The Department accepted that it had not always focussed on gathering data that would allow Immigration Enforcement to prioritise effectively. The Department also stated that it is attempting to better understand the illegal population so it can make “the right interventions with the right people at the right time”. We heard that Immigration Enforcement now focusses on improving prioritisation by putting harm at the top of its prioritisation framework. We asked whether someone who is not doing any harm would be a lower priority, and heard that people who are in the UK illegally would always be of interest to Immigration Enforcement.21
Government Response
Not Addressed
HM Government
Not Addressed
2.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Ta rget implementation date: March 2021 2.2 The department’s priority is to ensure that the collection, use and analysis of data support the effective delivery of public safety and security outcomes. Alongside HM Revenue and Customs, the Department for Work and Pensions and the National Health Service, the department holds some of the most significant datasets in Government. Effective use of data is therefore critical. 2.3 The department recognises that an investment in data analytics is important. As such, work is currently underway to create (and, where they already exist, expand) pockets of excellence, with an increased departmental-wide focus on data exploitation. The department’s technology investments are developing the underpinning infrastructure with a focus on accurate and high-quality data. Moving data onto modern and more resilient systems ensures that the twin priorities of keeping data secure and private and using data effectively to deliver positive outcomes can both be met. 2.4 The analytical capability within Immigration Enforcement (IE) specifically has grown significantly in recent years, with new Social Research, Operational Research and Economic Analysis teams all created to improve the analysis of data. But there is clearly more to do. 2.5 IE therefore has a comprehensive and long-term plan to transform into an organization that fully harnesses the opportunities that data provide. Whilst challenging – the plan involves the delivery of a number of technical components, the re-engineering of a number of existing work processes and an overarching cultural change in the way that IE staff approach data – the current departmental assessment is that, with the appropriate allocation and investment of resources, this plan can be fully and comprehensively delivered by 2025.