Interoperability in Justice and Public Safety Forum - Fourth session write-up

The fourth session of techUK’s Interoperability in Justice and Public Safety Forum explored cross-sector data sharing, technical standards and integration for policing, justice, and related public services.

The session included presentations and contributions from Luke Ryder (Open Banking), Teresa Ashforth (Home Office), Sarah Blake (CJS Data Programme), and Louise Adams and John Malcolm (National Police Technology Strategy).

Luke Ryder (Open Banking): Introduction to Open Banking

Luke Ryder opened the session with an introduction to Open Banking, tracing its evolution from a UK Competition Market Authority (CMA) initiative aimed at improving competition in the banking sector. He emphasized that at the heart of Open Banking there is the principle that customers own their data and should be empowered to use it freely and securely.

The framework's foundation was built upon the development of shared technical standards and regulations, notably the EU’s Payment Services Directive 2, which covered the way for secure API-based data exchange between banks and third-party providers. Luke highlighted how these standards were developed through rigorous consultation with banks and fintech to ensure buy-in and real-world applicability.

Luke outlined the implementation journey, noting the CMA’s regulatory mandate that required the UK’s nine largest banks to not only comply with Open Banking but to fund its creation and deployment. This collaborative, industry-wide approach brought together major banks, regulators, and fintech companies through working groups and workshops to co-design technical specifications.

Open Banking initially faced resistance from major banks, but then stakeholders recognised shared benefits. This led to viable partnerships and a shift toward sustainable, market-led funding. Luke explained the move from mandatory contributions by the big nine banks to a more commercial model, where all market participants contribute. Options include pay-per-API-call and broader cost-sharing. He also referenced the UK’s Data Use and Access Act, which supports applying Open Banking principles to other sectors.

A key success factor has been the adoption of international standards like ISO and FAPI. Ryder stressed the importance of industry consultation and feedback to refine these standards, with the CMA stepping in when consensus is not possible. Luke concluded by highlighting how Open Banking infrastructure (such as customer verification and secure directories) could support innovation in sectors like energy, telecoms, healthcare, and justice.

Teresa Ashforth (Home Office), Data Reform Programme in Policing

Teresa Ashforth from the Home Office provided an update of the Date Reform Programme, emphasizing the need to treat data as a national asset, outlining initiatives to improve data quality, mandate consistent standards, and hold chief officers accountable for compliance.

She explained that data maturity assessments are now part of inspection processes and highlighted ongoing challenges with data sharing. A central data hub is being proposed to make it easier for police forces to share information and reduce admin work.

Teresa also mentioned about the economic value of police data, and the importance of defining clear data requirements to guide investment decisions and system design. Engaging with the supplier community is essential to ensuring that data tools are aligned with operational needs.

Sarah Blake, Ministry of Justice, Data Improvement Programme

The forum aims to expand its focus from policing to include the wider justice system, exploring good practices, ongoing work, and the challenges faced across the sector. On this session we had a presentation from Sarah Blake, from the Ministry of Justice, who gave an update on the Data Improvement Programme, which is focused on linking datasets across police, courts, and probation services. She highlighted ongoing work to address inconsistencies in data categorisation and the creation of a linked dataset to support better decision-making and performance tracking. Sarha shared insights from a pilot in Essex where linking police and probation data helped improve the effectiveness of probation officers, an approach that is now being considered for national rollout.

Sarah stressed the need for continuous data sharing and consistent data collection methods across the criminal justice system. Integrated systems will improve coordination between agencies, improving outcomes for the public.

Louise Adams and John Malcolm, National Policing Technology Reform Strategy & Roadmap update

Louise Adams and John Malcolm presented the National Police Technology Strategy and accompanying roadmap. They shared the importance of aligning technology with broader digital and operational strategies and reiterated the need for close collaboration with industry partners.

They also announced an upcoming industry engagement event in September, which will offer visibility into the future state architecture and invite feedback and challenge from suppliers to help shape the path forward. techUK is currently planning the session with the team and will share more information due in course.

You can find the slides for the presentation here.

Conclusions

The group concluded with several actions for upcoming sessions, including supporting the Police Digital Service in providing feedback on the Interoperability Readiness Checklist intended for police forces.

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