Recommendation 3

Poor data quality and weak management information continue to prevent effective management of the asylum system and undermine Parliament’s ability to assess performance. There is no single, reliable view of cases across the asylum system, with data spread across multiple systems, spreadsheets and local records. Basic information we would reasonably expect to see, such as the number of absconders or number of repeated appeals, is incomplete, inconsistent or simply unavailable. Officials were unable to provide key figures with confidence, and arrangements for assuring data quality were unclear. Although the Home Office provided some additional figures after our evidence session and highlighted ongoing work to integrate its data systems, these do not materially change the picture. This includes work to develop a new data “blueprint” inside the Home Office to create connectivity by migrating legacy and manual information into the new Atlas system. However, officials told us that some Home Office staff continue to operate off individual spreadsheets, resulting in multiple records and ongoing data quality issues. Departments still lack integrated, system-wide data and agreed performance measures needed to manage the asylum system effectively. Until these gaps are addressed, senior leaders cannot fully understand where pressures are building or assess whether interventions are working as intended, and Parliament cannot obtain robust assurance on progress or value for money. recommendation The Home Office should, alongside its Treasury Minute response, set out a system-wide data improvement plan that includes: • a clear timetable with milestones and costs for delivering a shared data framework with Ministry of Justice, MHCLG and local authorities that sets out the data each partner requires to manage its part of the system; 4 • the technical, operational and behavioural changes needed to implement this framework and support joint planning and decision-making; • a broad and