New ministerial group created to drive through digital reforms
The new Ministerial Group on Government Digital Technology will work to ensure progress continues in government digital transformation.
Minister for the Cabinet Office Matt Hancock has today announced a new Ministerial Group on Government Digital Technology. It will lead and drive through reforms to the UK’s digital public services, one of the government’s top priorities.
Since 2010, the government has revolutionised digital government services. We have established the award winning GOV.UK website. We have also improved some of the most high volume government services to make them ‘digital by default’ – including registering to vote and finding an apprenticeship. This has helped to save £3.5 billion for taxpayers over the last 3 years.
The government is determined to go even further and improve the relationship between citizens and the state. We want to provide even more seamless access to government services that are simpler to use. This includes building a series of digital ‘platforms’ that will end the days when departments built different versions of the same service. These platforms will provide an adaptable and modern way of providing technology to government staff. They will also work together to ensure that data stored by government is safe, regardless of which department collects it.
Ensuring public digital services and data are both safe and secure will be at the heart of the new ministerial group’s focus. The public must be able to trust that the services they are using protect their personal information.
Departments will need to work together to carry out this work quickly and efficiently. Ministers and officials from across government will attend the new ministerial group to lead these reforms so we can solve long-term cross-government challenges.
Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General Matt Hancock said:
Digital transformation is recasting the relationship between citizen and state, making it easier for people to interact with a government that works for them. This means dealing with government without confusion, without being put on hold, and without having to join a queue.
We believe that doing this right can save billions by 2020. But this means working closely across government and making sure that we can store citizens’ data safely and securely. That’s exactly what this group will do, and I’m looking forward to working with my ministerial colleagues to drive through these reforms.