News

IT for government and public sector

April 16, 2020 16 Apr'20
NHS Wales to get free security services during coronavirus pandemic

NHS Wales Informatics Services enlists Thales to help it face down security threats and let its teams focus on the Covid-19 coronavirus crisis
April 15, 2020 15 Apr'20
House of Commons reports progress on virtual Parliament

Plans to take certain proceedings online are on track but ‘bumps along the way’ are expected, according to the Speaker of the House of Commons
April 15, 2020 15 Apr'20
Coronavirus: Nordic authorities use tech in fight against Covid-19

Nordic government organisations are working with private technology firms in the region to support their efforts to contain the coronavirus
April 15, 2020 15 Apr'20
Tech firms, academia and charities unite to deliver 4G tablets to Covid-19 patients

The Life Lines project aims to keep critically ill patients connected when they are being cared for inside intensive care units across the UK

April 09, 2020 09 Apr'20
NHSX partners with Facebook and Accenture for video call device trial during Covid-19 crisis

Social media firm will distribute the equipment in hospitals, care homes and other healthcare settings
April 09, 2020 09 Apr'20
‘It's going to be a really different NHS’ – how NHS Digital is tackling the coronavirus crisis

The Covid-19 outbreak has led to huge amounts of work for NHS Digital, shifting its priorities and creating unprecedented demand for products and data, but it has also had a positive impact, says CEO Sarah Wilkinson
April 09, 2020 09 Apr'20
Coronavirus: Zoom restricted or banned at multiple organisations

Use of videoconferencing tool has been banned at Google and in parts of the German and US governments
April 08, 2020 08 Apr'20
Games developers join fight against coronavirus

Sector firms will deliver health messaging to UK citizens though popular games under a partnership with the government
April 08, 2020 08 Apr'20
What next for subpostmasters’ miscarriage of justice appeals?

Computer Weekly looks at the next stages in the process to clear the names of subpostmasters wrongly prosecuted for the crimes of theft and false accounting
April 08, 2020 08 Apr'20
IR35 private sector reforms: Blanket bans on limited company contractors hold firm despite deferral

While many firms have seized on the government’s decision to delay the roll-out of the IR35 reforms to rethink their approach, others are sticking by their decision to ban limited company IT contractors from their workforce

April 07, 2020 07 Apr'20
Judge refuses to delay Assange's extradition hearing over coronavirus pandemic

District Judge Vanessa Baraitser says extradition proceedings will go ahead against Julian Assange, after his lawyers argued that the coronavirus lockdown means they cannot prepare their defence
April 07, 2020 07 Apr'20
House of Commons commits to digital Parliament

Temporary arrangements will be in place to allow MPs to work remotely, with a project involving the BBC set to implement a more robust solution
April 06, 2020 06 Apr'20
Government launches £20m tech fund to tackle coronavirus crisis

The Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy announced the funding to back proposals to be reviewed by Innovate UK
April 03, 2020 03 Apr'20
Speaker calls for virtual Parliament during coronavirus crisis

Pressure mounts to build on previous virtual trials in parliamentary committee hearings and enable the House of Commons to operate remotely.
April 03, 2020 03 Apr'20
Use of NHS technology surges during Covid-19 outbreak

Digital platforms provided by the health service are attracting many more users as a result of social distancing and the need to provide services remotely
April 02, 2020 02 Apr'20
What the Court of Appeal referrals mean to those who campaigned for justice for subpostmasters

Former subpostmasters and their supporters describe their feelings after their appeals against convictions – some of which are nearly 20 years old – get sent to the Court of Appeal
April 02, 2020 02 Apr'20
MPs call for digital Parliament

In a letter with more than 100 co-signatories, Labour MP Chi Onwurah calls for politicians to lead by example during the coronavirus outbreak
April 01, 2020 01 Apr'20
Coronavirus: NHSX working on contact tracing app

A contact tracing app to track the spread of infection is being developed, although specific technical details remain scarce
March 31, 2020 31 Mar'20
Netherlands schools harness Apple technology

Most Dutch schools use Windows computers, interactive whiteboards and Chromebooks, but there are a number of pioneers who choose Apple products
March 31, 2020 31 Mar'20
Whitehall appoints civil service COO to replace John Manzoni

Former CMA chief executive Alex Chisholm also takes on the roles of COO and permanent secretary at the Cabinet Office
March 31, 2020 31 Mar'20
Hackathon launched to help fight coronavirus pandemic

Virtual hackathon seeks to develop a suite of applications to help people during the Covid-19 coronavirus outbreak through ethically built technology
March 30, 2020 30 Mar'20
Ministry of Defence releases defence data management strategy

The report sets out how the department will improve the way it manages and uses data
March 29, 2020 29 Mar'20
Australian government unveils Covid-19 app

Federal government launches Coronavirus Australia app to keep Australians updated on the latest developments in its fight against the coronavirus outbreak
March 27, 2020 27 Mar'20
How subpostmasters made legal history with biggest referral of potential miscarriages of justice

Subpostmasters seeking redress of prosecutions at the hands of an IT system force the biggest ever UK referral of cases of potential miscarriages of justice to the Court of Appeal
March 27, 2020 27 Mar'20
Coronavirus: Derbyshire Police deploy drones to enforce social distancing rules

Police forces across the UK are using technology to exercise new emergency powers granted by the government this week as part of its coronavirus response
March 27, 2020 27 Mar'20
Crown Commercial Service advises on remote working tech

Public sector organisations want to understand their options to support their workforce during the Covid-19 crisis
March 27, 2020 27 Mar'20
NHS rolls out video consultations at GPs to support lockdown

Video consultation service aims to reduce face-to-face contact to protect patients and reduce infection, as well as caring for people who are mostly staying at home
March 26, 2020 26 Mar'20
Subpostmaster prosecutions to be considered by Court of Appeal for miscarriages of justice

The Criminal Cases Review Commission is referring 39 subpostmaster prosecutions to the Court of Appeal to review for possible miscarriages of justice, with further analysis on 22 more cases ongoing
March 25, 2020 25 Mar'20
Coronavirus: Chatbot to help Estonians cope during pandemic

Estonian government is using a chatbot developed by local startups to answer the many questions its citizens have about Covid-19
March 25, 2020 25 Mar'20
Meeting reviewing subpostmaster applications to appeal criminal prosecutions moves into second day

The Criminal Cases Review Commission has extended a meeting considering subpostmaster applications to appeal criminal convictions resulting from a faulty Post Office IT system
March 24, 2020 24 Mar'20
Huge queues for Universal Credit online applications due to coronavirus surge

Online queues in the tens of thousands are hindering emergency applications for Universal Credit, with the Gov.uk Verify identity verification system becoming a particular bottleneck
March 24, 2020 24 Mar'20
Coronavirus: Mobilising data science

Policy-makers are calling on the global data science community to develop data models that can can help them better understand the Covid-19 transmission rate
March 23, 2020 23 Mar'20
Coronavirus: Post Office postpones subpostmaster compensation scheme amid Covid-19 crisis

Scheme to compensate subpostmasters who suffered because of computer errors in the Post Office’s Horizon system is delayed
March 23, 2020 23 Mar'20
Coronavirus: Kaspersky, Bitdefender make products free to NHS

Kaspersky and Bitdefender have both made various products and services available free to healthcare customers as the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic intensifies
March 23, 2020 23 Mar'20
Coronavirus: CCRC uses Microsoft Teams to consider subpostmaster appeals

Criminal Cases Review Commission to use Microsoft Teams to ensure review of subpostmaster prosecutions is held on time
March 23, 2020 23 Mar'20
Singapore’s JTC taps GIS platform in Punggol Digital District

The planners behind Singapore’s Punggol Digital District are using a geographic information system to make better planning decisions and improve day-to-day operations
March 20, 2020 20 Mar'20
Dstl launches report on the future of cities

Dstl research aims to support decision-making of the UK military by analysing topics such as the influence of technology in urban warfare
March 20, 2020 20 Mar'20
MP warns minister not to parrot civil servants’ lines on Post Office IT scandal

MP Kevan Jones has warned a government minister not to repeat the mistakes of predecessors in relation to the Post Office Horizon IT scandal
March 20, 2020 20 Mar'20
How an Estonian digital nation emerged from the embers of Soviet rule

Estonia’s minister for foreign trade and IT tells Computer Weekly how the country went from having no governmental infrastructure in the early 1990s to acquiring the label “digital nation”
March 19, 2020 19 Mar'20
Loan charge under review: Cross-party group of MPs slams government inquiry into tax policy

The government’s independent inquiry into the loan charge disguised remuneration policy has been criticised in a report by a cross-party group of MPs for being ‘fundamentally flawed’
March 19, 2020 19 Mar'20
Covid-19: NHS tackles coronavirus crisis with the help of tech

As the pandemic grows and creates enormous pressure on the health service, NHS organisations across the country are using technology to help cope
March 18, 2020 18 Mar'20
Surrey goes live with child health system

CSH Surrey goes live with its new platform, with the information on 440,000 children's health now consolidated onto a single platform
March 18, 2020 18 Mar'20
Post Office executives used ‘grotesque predatory capitalism’ throughout Horizon IT scandal

Labour MP Karl Turner tells Computer Weekly that the Post Office Horizon scandal is the most grotesque version of predatory capitalism he has ever seen
March 18, 2020 18 Mar'20
Estonia offers digital tools to countries struggling with coronavirus school closures

Government and tech companies in Baltic state unite to offer advanced digital learning tools to other countries
March 18, 2020 18 Mar'20
Swedish municipalities test AI to drive efficiencies and cost savings

Research in Sweden measures the benefits of using artificial intelligence in local government operations
March 18, 2020 18 Mar'20
IR35 private sector reforms: Coronavirus prompts Treasury to delay start date to April 2021

HM Treasury confirms roll-out of IR35 reforms to the private sector will be halted for a year to ease the pressure on businesses in the face of the coronavirus outbreak
March 17, 2020 17 Mar'20
MoD defence capabilities programme in trouble, says NAO

The Ministry of Defence is struggling with its £196bn defence capabilities programme, as 10 of 32 projects, including several technology ones, are in trouble, according to the National Audit Office
March 17, 2020 17 Mar'20
Courts make use of tech to hold remote hearings due to Covid-19

The Courts and Tribunals Judiciary will increase the use of technology in court proceedings as emergency legislation is being drafted to expand powers to allow criminal courts to hold remote hearings during the Covid-19 pandemic
March 16, 2020 16 Mar'20
Secret Post Office deals cause fury among Horizon IT scandal campaigners

The Post Office has sparked anger with secret settlements with subpostmasters outside the recent legal action against it
March 13, 2020 13 Mar'20
Equality watchdog calls on police to stop using facial recognition

Equalities and Human Rights Commission says use of automatic facial recognition and predictive algorithms by police is discriminatory, stifles freedom of expression and lacks a proper legislative framework
March 13, 2020 13 Mar'20
Councils awarded £1.2m in innovation funding

Six councils will each get up to £350,000 for digital innovation projects aiming to improve services for residents, in the latest round of the Local Digital Fund
March 13, 2020 13 Mar'20
Budget 2020: Full of promises, but is it enough?

Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s Budget provided plenty of cash for technology and innovation, but has the government done enough to make the tech industry happy?
March 13, 2020 13 Mar'20
US Department of Defense requests time to re-evaluate section of AWS and Microsoft JEDI bids

The Department of Defense is to request a resubmission of information from Microsoft and Amazon Web Services about their JEDI bids, as the long-running US cloud procurement saga drags on
March 11, 2020 11 Mar'20
Budget 2020: Omission of IR35 from chancellor's speech sparks fury from contracting groups

Despite repeated warnings of the damage the incoming IR35 reforms stand to do to the UK economy, contracting groups hit out at the government's decision to press ahead with the changes
March 11, 2020 11 Mar'20
Fintech workers called to share their experiences of microaggression

Fintech workers were asked to share upsetting workplace incidents as part of an anonymous study
March 11, 2020 11 Mar'20
Cross-regulator taskforce on digital economy announced in 2020 Budget

UK regulators will join forces to look at how the potential regulation of the digital platforms and advertising markets would work
March 11, 2020 11 Mar'20
Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s 2020 Budget pumps £22bn into R&D

The 2020 Budget pledges to increase research and development funding to £22bn a year, £5bn for broadband roll-out and £900m to ensure UK businesses lead the way in “high-potential technologies”, but slashes tax relief for entrepreneurs
March 11, 2020 11 Mar'20
International Women’s Day provides platform for Nordic women in tech

International annual event reminds tech industry that work needs to be done to reduce inequality, but organisations must work towards this on a daily basis
March 11, 2020 11 Mar'20
NHS partners with Google to improve health information online

Latest measures will ensure direct access to NHS advice for more than 250 most-searched health conditions
March 10, 2020 10 Mar'20
MPs told to hold to account those responsible for Post Office Horizon IT scandal

Subpostmasters who had their lives destroyed by a faulty IT system and mistreatment by the Post Office have asked MPs to hold to account the people responsible for the injustices
March 10, 2020 10 Mar'20
More questions raised about Gov.uk Verify as digital identity chief quits

Lisa Barrett, director of digital identity at GDS and head of the troubled Verify programme, is leaving government as funding questions remain ahead of Budget
March 10, 2020 10 Mar'20
GDS works on joining up government services

The GDS is assembling a business case as information about the impact of disjointed government offerings is gathered
March 10, 2020 10 Mar'20
DCMS seeks outside experts to review government data sharing ahead of spending review

The DCMS is seeking consultants to undertake a short-term but strategic project to figure out how to improve data sharing across government ahead of the comprehensive spending review, rolled over from 2019 to 2020
March 09, 2020 09 Mar'20
TechUK lays out proposals for Spring Budget

Trade body TechUK sets out its view on how to accelerate UK growth through technology in its submission to the March 2020 Budget
March 06, 2020 06 Mar'20
MI5 slammed by watchdog for failing to delete intercepted phone and internet data

The Investigatory Powers Commissioner (IPCO) has criticised MI5 for failing to report serious errors in the way it handles intercepted phone and internet data
March 06, 2020 06 Mar'20
Those who did not play by the rules in Post Office Horizon scandal “should face prosecution”

Telford MP has become a vocal member of the campaign for justice for the subpostmasters who had their lives devastated as a result of being blamed for losses caused by errors in the Post Office’s core retail and accounting system
March 06, 2020 06 Mar'20
Oliver Dowden: UK can be “unashamedly pro-tech nation”

The secretary of state spoke about the country's opportunity to “unleash all the innovation and enterprise that emerging technologies can provide”
March 05, 2020 05 Mar'20
Boots and Tesco loyalty card schemes plagued by security issues

High-street retailers deal with fraudulent attempts to access the accounts of thousands of customers
March 05, 2020 05 Mar'20
Biometrics ethics group takes evidence on public-private use of facial recognition

Collaboration between police forces and private entities on facial recognition technology comes under scrutiny by the Home Office’s Biometrics and Forensics Ethics Group
March 04, 2020 04 Mar'20
MPs call on PM to commit to full public inquiry into Post Office Horizon IT scandal

Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee to investigate the Horizon IT system and will question Post Office executives over subpostmasters wrongly accused of fraud
March 04, 2020 04 Mar'20
5G security is a concern for most companies

A study has found that decision-makers fear that 5G technology will make organisations more vulnerable to cyber attacks and will raise security-related costs
March 03, 2020 03 Mar'20
MPs double down on criticism of HMRC's loan charge enforcement action report

The war of words between the Loan Charge All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) and HMRC has deepened, as the cross-party group of MPs pens three-page letter outlining its issues with how tax agency is reporting on its enforcement activities
March 02, 2020 02 Mar'20
HMRC CEO denies it is ‘deliberately misleading’ public over loan scheme promoter arrests

HMRC CEO Jim Harra has “strongly rejected” claims made on social media by the Loan Charge All Party Parliamentary Group of cross-party MPs that it is “deliberately misleading” the public about its recent loan scheme-related enforcement activities
March 02, 2020 02 Mar'20
NHSX appoints chief information officer

Sonia Patel is the latest senior appointment at the digital unit of the National Health Service
March 02, 2020 02 Mar'20
Boris Johnson’s commitment to inquiry into Post Office scandal in doubt

Boris Johnson’s apparent commitment to a public inquiry into the Post Office Horizon scandal is not so certain
February 28, 2020 28 Feb'20
Student Loans Company to enlist IT suppliers for £200m transformation plan

Suppliers are being sought to support intended improvements to Student Loans Company's customer interface and technology estate
February 28, 2020 28 Feb'20
Government claims it was misled by Post Office over IT scandal

Minister says Post Office IT experts misled the government when it asked questions about subpostmasters’ concerns over Horizon IT system
February 27, 2020 27 Feb'20
WikiLeaks founder Assange is well enough to participate in extradition proceedings, says judge

A judge dismissed claims that Julian Assange’s vulnerable psychological state would prevent him from taking part in his extradition hearing to face espionage and computer misuse charges in the US
February 27, 2020 27 Feb'20
Gove warns EU that UK sovereignty is non-negotiable on eve of trade deal talks

The UK and the EU have published their divergent mandates for trade talks due to start on Monday 2 March 2020, and digital may emerge as a long-term terrain of dispute
February 27, 2020 27 Feb'20
NHSX launches Tech Plan vision

The strategy will see a phased approach to the delivery of digitisation in the healthcare sector, with delivery kicking off this summer
February 27, 2020 27 Feb'20
Clearview hack fuels debate over facial recognition

Customers of Clearview AI, a controversial startup that scrapes and sells billions of photos of people from social media to police forces, have found themselves at the centre of a major data breach
February 27, 2020 27 Feb'20
IR35 private sector reforms: Treasury review concludes no delay needed to April 2020 start date

Contracting groups describe HM Treasury’s highly anticipated review into the implementation of the IR35 reforms as “recklessly inadequate” as it concludes roll-out should proceed as planned
February 27, 2020 27 Feb'20
IR35 reforms: IT contractors warned off joining non-compliant umbrellas to avoid loan charge risk

Contracting stakeholders are calling on the government to do more to regulate umbrella companies ahead of the IR35 private sector reforms coming into play, to prevent more contractors falling into the scope of the loan charge
February 27, 2020 27 Feb'20
Redcar & Cleveland Council confirms ransomware attack

Local authority’s systems are still offline nearly three weeks after being attacked
February 26, 2020 26 Feb'20
NHSX publishes first progress report since launch

Digital unit for the National Health Service outlines achievements in areas such as the NHS App and artificial intelligence and gives clues about future milestones
February 26, 2020 26 Feb'20
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange cannot be legally extradited for ‘political offences’, say lawyers

Lawyers for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange argue that he has been charged with political offences and cannot be legally extradited to the US under the US-UK extradition treaty
February 26, 2020 26 Feb'20
Thousands of UK entrepreneurs register businesses in Estonia since Brexit referendum

UK entrepreneurs are registering businesses in Estonia to make sure they can continue to trade freely in the EU
February 26, 2020 26 Feb'20
Boris Johnson commits to 'getting to the bottom of' Post Office Horizon IT scandal

Prime minister Boris Johnson appears to commit to a public inquiry into the Post Office scandal over its accounting system, but government is yet to offer any details
February 26, 2020 26 Feb'20
Met Police chief backs legislative framework for police tech

Met Police commissioner has called for legislative framework to govern police use of new technologies, while defending the decision to use live facial recognition technology operationally without it
February 25, 2020 25 Feb'20
Julian Assange phoned White House to warn of risk to lives

Julian Assange phoned the White House to warn officials that unredacted cables published on the web posed a risk to lives, a court heard yesterday
February 25, 2020 25 Feb'20
Boots to trial private e-prescriptions

The pharmacy chain is trialling the service, underpinned by Doctor Care Anywhere technology, in 20 London stores
February 25, 2020 25 Feb'20
Government admits it was too passive managing Post Office as parliamentary pressure builds

The UK government faces accusations of neglecting its duties handling the Post Office as pressure mounts in Parliament for justice for the subpostmasters who suffered due to faults in the Horizon IT system
February 25, 2020 25 Feb'20
Cyber criminals targeting UK motorists, warns DVLA

Cyber criminals are offering various services and tax refunds that purport to be from the DVLA
February 25, 2020 25 Feb'20
Department for Education publishes tools to support learning at home

The Department for Education publishes apps featuring innovations such as artificial intelligence aimed at helping parents to use technology to create positive learning environments
February 24, 2020 24 Feb'20
Assange extradition is a politically motivated ‘abuse of power’, court hears

US government’s attempt to extradite WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to face espionage charges in the US is politically motivated and an abuse of process, court told
February 24, 2020 24 Feb'20
WikiLeaks founder Assange ‘put lives at risk’ by disclosing names in leaked documents, court hears

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange ‘put lives of US informants at risk’ by publishing unredacted documents, lawyers for the US argued at the first day of a week-long extradition hearing
February 24, 2020 24 Feb'20
Estonia to give citizens Alexa-like access to public services

The Estonian government is working on a project that will ultimately allow citizens to ask Siri, Alexa or almost any other virtual digital assistant to interact with government departments on their behalf
February 24, 2020 24 Feb'20
IR35 private sector reforms: First year of enforcement won't be ‘heavy-handed’, claims chancellor

New chancellor Rishi Sunak has moved to assure business leaders that HMRC will not be heavy-handed in enforcing the new IR35 rules
February 24, 2020 24 Feb'20
Tech reaction to UK’s upcoming immigration rules

The government has outlined its plans for a new points-based immigration system to ensure only skilled workers can enter the UK – but what does the technology sector think?
February 23, 2020 23 Feb'20
Australian government inks sourcing deal with Rimini Street

The whole-of-government agreement will provide Australian government agencies with easier and cheaper access to third-party software support