National Law Enforcement Data Programme

Matthew Rycroft CBE, Permanent Secretary, Home Office

Mike Hill, Director, Police and Public Protection Technology, and SRO, NLEDP, Home Office

Joanna Davinson, Executive Director, Central Digital and Data Office

Stephen Webb, Former Senior Responsible Owner, Home Office

Topics raised at the Commons Committee of Public Accountsincluded:

• the police national computer and the police national database
• NAO report on the National Law Enforcement Data Programme
• data deletion incident in January 2021 and Lord Hogan-Howe independent review of what happened
• 2016 attempt to upgrade the police national database
• how this project covers Northern Ireland and Scotland as well as England and the challenges that come with that
• how the Home Office underestimated the complexity of upgrading the police national computer
• how the Home Office have separated its work on the police national database and the police national computer
• delivery of the emergency services network
• whether the system will be significantly more resilient against cyberattacks than the systems that are being used now
• stakeholder engagement when it comes to the delivery of the National Law Enforcement Data Programme
• cost of this IT upgrade project
• whether the programme will be delivered on time
• the Home Office's procurement policies
• delays to the programme and the impact of this on police funding

There is a cost to the police forces; that is really the point I am driving at. It is a cost they have to build into their financial planning. One of the problems we saw with ESN is that they built in some costings and then had to carry on with the old system anyway, and buy new kit to do that, so their whole budgeting was out of whack. There is a whole chain of money, as well as technical support.

Joanna Davinson: I will ask Mr Hill to pick that one up, because he is closer than I am to the latest conversations with police on their end of the equation.

Mike Hill: As the Permanent Secretary outlined earlier, we are providing

£30 million of funding to forces to enable adoption. We are working very closely with the techUK organisation, which is the vendor community, on how they operate within the force-level elements as well. The key thing about that is the risk profile of that adoption and enabling them to take it on on a much quicker basis than otherwise would have been the case.

Georgie Morgan

Head of Justice and Emergency Services | Fraud and Economic Crime Lead, techUK

Georgie joined techUK as the Justice and Emergency Services (JES) Programme Manager in March 2020, progressing to Head of Programme in January 2022. Her portfolio then expanded in January 2024 where she now leads our work across fraud and economic crime. 

In her current role, Georgie leads techUK’s engagement and initiatives across the blue light and criminal justice sectors. She works closely with industry and stakeholders to drive innovation, address challenges, and anticipate future needs, while showcasing the critical role technology plays in delivering essential public safety and justice services. Through the JES programme, she provides a platform for suppliers, helping them navigate and establish themselves in the blue light and criminal justice markets.

Before joining techUK, Georgie spent four and a half years managing a Business Crime Reduction Partnership (BCRP) in Westminster. Collaborating with the Metropolitan Police and local councils, she focused on mitigating the impact of crime on the business community. Her efforts spanned addressing low-level street crime and anti-social behavior to managing critical incidents and violent crime.

Email:

[email protected]

LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgie-henley/

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