Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 33
33
Rejected
DWP committed to annual reporting on data analytics impact on protected groups.
Conclusion
In our November 2022 report on DWP’s 2021–22 accounts we recommended that DWP should report annually to Parliament on its assessment of the impact of data analytics on protected groups and vulnerable claimants.77 DWP told us it thought the right way to do this would be to report annually in its annual report and accounts.78 In correspondence after our evidence session it confirmed that would be the case, and that its first such assessment would be included in its 2023–24 report and accounts. DWP stated that its first assessment would provide a view on any bias detected, and whether this is in line with its expectation. DWP also stated that the assessment would provide indications of the type of mitigations put in place to reduce the risk of unfairness within the overall system, or actions taken to address issues.79 75 Qq 105–106 76 Q 102 77 Committee of Public Accounts, The Department for Work and Pensions’ Accounts 2021–22 – Fraud and error in the benefit system, Twenty-Sixth Report of Session 2022–23, HC 44, 9 November 2022 78 Q 104 79 Correspondence from DWP dated 24 October 2023 20 The Department for Work & Pensions Annual Report and Accounts 2022–23
Government Response Summary
The government rejects detailing specific metrics for publication on data analytics' impact, citing the need to avoid compromising fraud detection. However, it reaffirms its commitment to reporting annually on the impact of data analytics on protected groups and vulnerable claimants, with the first assessment in its 2023-24 Annual Report and Accounts.
Government Response
Rejected
HM Government
Rejected
6.1 The government disagrees with the Committee’s recommendation. 6.2 The department is committed to reporting annually to Parliament on its assessment of the impact of data analytics on protected groups and vulnerable claimants with the first assessment in the department’s 2023-24 Annual Report and Accounts. In future years the department will iterate the annual assessments to include impacts on customer service. 6.3 While the department is committed to providing information as set out, it must not compromise its ability to tackle fraud and error by revealing details about its models that could be exploited. On that basis, the department disagrees with the Committee’s recommendation detailing specific metrics for publication.