16 October 2024: Future Border and Immigration System (FBIS) programme Accounting Officer Assessment
Updated 6 December 2024
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Background and context
It is normal practice for accounting officers to scrutinise significant policy proposals or plans to start or vary major projects, and then assess whether they measure up to the standards set out in Managing Public Money. From April 2017, the government has committed to make a summary of the key points from these assessments available to Parliament when an accounting officer has agreed an assessment of projects within the government’s Major Projects Portfolio.
Future Border and Immigration System (FBIS) programme
The Future Border and Immigration System (FBIS) programme is delivering HMG’s strategy for legal migration and border control, underpinned by the ambition to put in place the world’s most effective and secure border system that: recognises and values the contribution legal migration makes to our country; is simple to understand and operate; and prioritises public protection, by making our borders more secure. The programme has delivered several significant milestones to date, including some new routes as well as the initial rollout of the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme.
Regularity
The FBIS programme delivers key ministerial commitments and is not novel, contentious, or repercussive and carries very minimal legal risk. Any policy or legal changes are implemented through changes to primary legislation (Immigration and Social Security Co-ordination (EU Withdrawal) Act 2020 and Nationality and Borders Act 2022) and the Immigration Rules. The Programme Business Case (PBC) for the programme was reviewed and signed off by HM Treasury (HMT) and Major Projects Review Group (MPRG) in October 2021. This included approval of the preferred option and funding for the Programme until 24/25 as part of the Spending Review. The latest PBC ’24 is currently with HMT for approval.
Propriety
The FBIS strategy and direction, as set out in our New Plan for Immigration: Legal Migration and Border Control strategy, aligns with the new government’s commitments, and we have appropriate governance and controls in place to adhere to the principles documented in Managing Public Money.
Value for money
FBIS delivers significant financial benefits to the UK as well as a series of non-financial benefits such as customer improvements, improved security and reduced criminality risks and more efficient internal processes.
Feasibility
To date, FBIS has delivered successfully and to budget whilst taking on additional scope to support emerging government priorities such as the withdrawal from Afghanistan and support for Ukraine. Our delivery confidence for the programme is currently at ‘Amber’ which is aligned with the most recent Gate 0 review (January 2024) by the Infrastructure and Projects Authority (IPA) which also gave the programme no critical recommendations. The increased scope for the programme in the past few years in response to other high profile urgent government commitments has resulted in prioritisation of key outcomes and an agreed delay to lower priority deliverables. Therefore, further time is required to achieve these key deliverables and the programme requires an extension until March 2027.
Conclusion
As the Accounting Officer for the Home Office, I considered this assessment of FBIS and approved it on the 16 October 2024. This assessment has been approved by the CPO, DDaT Director, Chief Economist, and Finance Director.
I have prepared this document to set out the key points which informed my decision. If any of these factors change materially during the lifetime of this project, I undertake to prepare a revised version, setting out my assessment of them.
This document will be published on the government’s website (GOV.UK). Copies will be deposited in the Library of the House of Commons, and sent to the Comptroller and Auditor General, Treasury Officer of Accounts and Chair of the Public Accounts Committee.
Sir Matthew Rycroft KCMG CBE
Permanent Secretary