Departing Land Registry chief Simon Hayes talks lockdown, hybrid working and fighting the perfect storm of staff shortages and record demand
03 Sep Digital, Data & Technology

Departing Land Registry chief Simon Hayes talks lockdown, hybrid working and fighting the perfect storm of staff shortages and record demand

Hayes reflects on transformation, choices and challenges at HMLR as he departs after six years in post to become chief exec at Sports England
by Jess Bowie
DSIT staff numbers increase by more than half as GDS moves in
05 Sep Digital, Data & Technology
DSIT staff numbers increase by more than half as GDS moves in
MPs launch probe into MoD’s Afghan data breach
04 Sep Digital, Data & Technology
MPs launch probe into MoD’s Afghan data breach
Government warned of need to go 'further and faster' to improve data security
01 Sep Digital, Data & Technology
Government warned of need to go 'further and faster' to improve data security
Government comms ‘need overhaul’ after Covid-19 blunders and spin
01 Feb 2021 Digital, Data & Technology
Government comms ‘need overhaul’ after Covid-19 blunders and spin
Fact-checking charity calls for inquiry and says civil service analysts should brief the press on complex issues
DfE laptops for home-schooling found to contain malware
26 Jan 2021 Digital, Data & Technology
DfE laptops for home-schooling found to contain malware
‘Small number’ of machines affected by what users say is a worm that contacts Russian servers
Opinion: What Covid revealed about government’s legacy IT, and what to do next
26 Jan 2021 Digital, Data & Technology
Opinion: What Covid revealed about government’s legacy IT, and what to do next
The coronavirus pandemic pressed unprecedented stress on government’s technology systems. Many parts of the system coped well, but it also revealed problems that must be addressed to avoid future crisis, says Reform's director of research, Eleonora Harwich
Was 2020 a watershed for public sector use of algorithms?
25 Jan 2021 Digital, Data & Technology
Was 2020 a watershed for public sector use of algorithms?
Last year saw public protests about the use of predictive analytics in decision making. As the technology becomes more widely used in many public services, Sam Trendall asks experts about the implications for government, the law – and the citizens affected
HMRC pledges to publish more data on unpaid tax
15 Jan 2021 Digital, Data & Technology
HMRC pledges to publish more data on unpaid tax
But government rejects MPs’ call for sector breakdowns and a headline uncertainty figure
Government shakes up digital leadership
14 Jan 2021 Digital, Data & Technology
Government shakes up digital leadership
Home Office tech chief Davinson appointed leader of newly created Central Digital and Data Office while Read arrives from MoJ to head up GDS
HMRC records 12% spike in complaints as customer-service issues continue
11 Jan 2021 Digital, Data & Technology
HMRC records 12% spike in complaints as customer-service issues continue
November stats show another increase in call-waiting times and new struggles with answering online and postal queries
Government ‘working towards’ publishing new digital strategy this year
07 Jan 2021 Digital, Data & Technology
Government ‘working towards’ publishing new digital strategy this year
Plan was due to be published in autumn last year
Net zero, a new supercomputer, COP26 and a Met Office restructure: Prof Penelope Endersby looks ahead to 2021
22 Dec 2020 Digital, Data & Technology
Net zero, a new supercomputer, COP26 and a Met Office restructure: Prof Penelope Endersby looks ahead to 2021
2020 was a year unlike any other, with the coronavirus pandemic upending the work of government and changing how we live our daily lives. Senior figures from across the civil service tell us how the unprecedented 12 months affected them, and look ahead to 2021
Cabinet Office ‘doesn’t have the data’ to fix civil service skills gaps
11 Dec 2020 Digital, Data & Technology
Cabinet Office ‘doesn’t have the data’ to fix civil service skills gaps
MPs say crisis has been exacerbated by short-termism, pay restrictions and significant salary disparities between departments
ONS makes ‘milestone’ move to boost trust in government data
07 Dec 2020 Digital, Data & Technology
ONS makes ‘milestone’ move to boost trust in government data
Statistics body floats quality framework to help departments improve their data use
Limited access to data holding us back, immigration policy advisers warn
02 Dec 2020 Digital, Data & Technology
Limited access to data holding us back, immigration policy advisers warn
MAC chair calls for improvements to "robustly measure the impact of the new immigration system during a period of huge change"
DfE expands supplier base for laptops scheme
01 Dec 2020 Digital, Data & Technology
DfE expands supplier base for laptops scheme
Department brings in two additional IT resellers to supply about 165,000 extra devices
HMRC and Home Office the big winners as spending review commits £600m to ‘fix outdated government IT’
30 Nov 2020 Digital, Data & Technology
HMRC and Home Office the big winners as spending review commits £600m to ‘fix outdated government IT’
Document also outlines projection of extra £700m revenue from digital taxation regime
Home Office seeks SRO for troubled emergency services comms network programme
16 Nov 2020 Digital, Data & Technology
Home Office seeks SRO for troubled emergency services comms network programme
Official expected to strike "appropriate balance between delivering at pace and managing operational risk" on delayed and over-budget programme
NHS ‘improves accuracy’ of contact-tracing app as downloads near 20 million
03 Nov 2020 Digital, Data & Technology
NHS ‘improves accuracy’ of contact-tracing app as downloads near 20 million
Update will end ‘ghost notifications’, government claims
Cabinet Office publishes employee and supplier personal info in data breach
29 Oct 2020 Digital, Data & Technology
Cabinet Office publishes employee and supplier personal info in data breach
Improperly redacted contract included names and mobile phone numbers – which remained publicly available four days after department had been notified of breach
HM Land Registry offers £120k for digital chief to lead transformation
26 Oct 2020 Digital, Data & Technology
HM Land Registry offers £120k for digital chief to lead transformation
Tech leader will oversee digitisation of platforms and infrastructure upgrades
Joint Biosecurity Centre partners with stats and machine-learning experts to inform Covid response
22 Oct 2020 Digital, Data & Technology
Joint Biosecurity Centre partners with stats and machine-learning experts to inform Covid response
The Alan Turing Institute and Royal Statistical Society to set up virtual lab
‘The opportunity to have organisations of all types publishing data to common standards is really exciting’: why stats regulators' new award matters
21 Oct 2020 Digital, Data & Technology
‘The opportunity to have organisations of all types publishing data to common standards is really exciting’: why stats regulators' new award matters
The first ever award to recognise the voluntary application of the Office for Statistics Regulation code has been awarded jointly to MHCLG and the Scottish Fiscal Commission, with UCAS named highly commended.
Interview: UK national statistician on how data has helped government – and the public – in coronavirus response
20 Oct 2020 Digital, Data & Technology
Interview: UK national statistician on how data has helped government – and the public – in coronavirus response
To mark World Statistics Day, Professor Sir Ian Diamond reveals how the work of statisticians has been crucial in supporting government’s pandemic response, as well as his thoughts on the media and politicians’ use of numbers
Opinion: Dominic Cummings is keen to make the UK a technology superpower. He should change procurement rules to make it happen
13 Oct 2020 Digital, Data & Technology
Opinion: Dominic Cummings is keen to make the UK a technology superpower. He should change procurement rules to make it happen
Innovation is stifled by public sector procurement rules. Brexit, and the Integrated Review, offer a chance to change that, says Simon Harwood, the head of defence and security at Cranfield University
DWP to trial digital system for issuing National Insurance numbers
13 Oct 2020 Digital, Data & Technology
DWP to trial digital system for issuing National Insurance numbers
Service will be made available to small number of applicants
Cabinet Office to pay £300k for mobile data tracking to 'prevent Covid transmission risk'
13 Oct 2020 Digital, Data & Technology
Cabinet Office to pay £300k for mobile data tracking to 'prevent Covid transmission risk'
"Mobile-based location services and digital advertising experts" to monitor footfall and social distancing in shopping "hotspots"