IT for government and public sector

NHSX to mandate minimum technology spend for trusts

Recent guidelines for NHSX sets out plans to define spending levels required so organisations can achieve digital aims Continue Reading

Social media targeting algorithms need regulation, says CDEI

The Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation is recommending regulation of social media algorithms as part of a drive to make user targeting safe and ethical Continue Reading

MI5 faces court ruling over unlawful surveillance warrants

Privacy groups Liberty and Privacy International ask the Investigatory Powers Tribunal to order MI5 to disclose full details of ‘unlawful’ conduct, after classified documents reveal the spy agency failed to comply with surveillance laws Continue Reading

Digital strategy for 2020-2030 sets out police technology plans

National policing strategy sets a number of technological ambitions for the next decade, placing a particular emphasis on collaborative working and building common standards or frameworks Continue Reading

Government announces fast-track visa scheme for scientists and researchers

Government also removes cap on the number of people who can enter the UK via the Exceptional Talent route Continue Reading

Government refuses request to pay legal costs for subpostmasters in Post Office case

The government has refused to pay the huge legal costs subpostmasters incurred in their battle with the government-owned Post Office, which they won Continue Reading

NHS adds supplier security audits to procurement platform

A new feature in the NHS’s Edge4Health procurement platform will help NHS suppliers improve their cyber security posture and NHS organisations make better buying decisions Continue Reading

NHSX appoints new chief technology officer

David Turner will join the digital unit of the National Health Service in May 2020 Continue Reading

Estonian CIO gives UK IT professionals hope as Brexit removes rights

Tech chief says Estonia’s door is open to UK IT professionals if they want to continue enjoying an EU lifestyle Continue Reading

Alan Bates: The ‘details man’ the Post Office paid the price for ignoring

In 2003, subpostmaster Alan Bates had his contract terminated when he refused to comply with Post Office policy. A decade and a half later, against the odds, he took the Post Office to the High Court and won a multimillion-pound legal case Continue Reading

Davos: The clock is ticking on climate change but cyber crime and emerging technologies add to risks

Climate change, natural disasters, extreme weather and loss of biodiversity are the greatest risks we face. With cyber conflicts, state-sponsored hacking and internet fragmentation, doing nothing is not an option, says the World Economic Forum Continue Reading

Harvey Nash hires first female CEO

Beverley White takes over as Albert Ellis steps down after 14 years leading the IT recruitment and services firm Continue Reading

UK’s Tier 1 Exceptional Talent visa system ‘does not work well’, says MAC

During a review of whether the government should introduce a points-based system for migration, the Migration Advisory Committee claims the current Tier 1 system for exceptional talent is not fit for purpose Continue Reading

Northern Rail will trial tech to tackle overcrowding

Troubled operator Northern Rail will attempt to improve services by using technology as it is brought under government control Continue Reading

UKCloud moots multi-cloud as a way to speed up public sector cloud adoption

Contributors to UKCloud's public sector-focused State of Cloud Adoption report flag barriers to using off-premise technologies, but could adopting a multi-cloud strategy assist with overcoming them? Continue Reading

Sorting out the Dutch government’s IT mess

Tech experts discuss the challenges and potential solutions to the Netherlands government’s IT problems Continue Reading

UK cyber security sector worth more than £8bn

The UK’s cyber security industry employs 43,000 full-time workers, and contributed nearly £4bn to the UK economy in 2019, according to DCMS Continue Reading

CTO interview: Juan Villamil discusses changing IT culture

Juan Villamil has worked at the Department for Work and Pensions for nearly five years. As he heads off to take up a new challenge at Imperial College, we speak to him about change and transformation Continue Reading

Government creates AI playbook for the public sector

Wide-ranging advice is provided in a guide that covers all stages of projects, from evaluation through to post-implementation Continue Reading

Met Police could deploy facial recognition against protesters

Live facial recognition will be rolled out operationally by the Met Police, but police monitoring group Netpol believes it will hamper people’s ability to exercise their rights to protest Continue Reading

A new decade, a new government and a new horizon for UK tech

Brexit is being done, so it’s time for the government to look to the future and place technology at the heart of the economy Continue Reading

Podcast: The Computer Weekly Downtime Upload – Episode 44

In this week’s episode of the Computer Weekly Downtime Upload podcast, Caroline Donnelly and Brian McKenna are joined by Cliff Saran to discuss the end of support for Windows 7, the latest developments in IR35 in the private sector, Will Carling and AWS in respect of the Six Nations, data literacy, and IT at Davos Continue Reading

Subpostmaster prosecutions move closer to appeal

Prosecutions are a significant step closer to being sent to the Court of Appeal as Criminal Courts Review Commission forms a group of commissioners to review them Continue Reading

Police sent information about potential Fujitsu staff perjury in subpostmaster prosecutions

The police have been asked to consider information from a High Court judge questioning evidence given by Fujitsu staff in criminal trials of Post Office subpostmasters Continue Reading

NHSX reports progress in screening transformation

Digital unit outlines work that has been done to address the shortcomings of screening IT programmes Continue Reading

UK teachers want more computers in schools

As well as equipment, a priority is to increase the provision of training for teachers in the use of technology, according to a new study Continue Reading

Met Police to launch facial recognition operationally

Despite the continuing controversy around its use, the Metropolitan Police will be deploying live facial recognition across the capital Continue Reading

UK firms lack skills to make AI work, employees claim

Research finds employees are concerned about being blamed for tech blunders, with those fears increasing resistance towards artificial intelligence technology Continue Reading

Government should not be allowed to dismiss subpostmasters’ claims over Horizon IT scandal

Subpostmasters are stepping up their fight for justice after their huge court victory, with Westminister replacing the High Court as the battleground Continue Reading

Making gigabit broadband a reality for everyone in the UK

As the new government introduces its first legislation to boost full-fibre broadband, digital minister Matt Warman looks ahead to delivering on the Conservatives’ election promises Continue Reading

IR35 private sector reforms: Recruitment industry urges chancellor to halt April 2020 roll-out

Major players from the UK recruitment industry want the government to delay plans to roll out the IR35 reforms to the private sector so enterprises have more time to prepare Continue Reading

Podcast: The Computer Weekly Downtime Upload – Episode 43

In this week’s episode of the Computer Weekly Downtime Upload podcast, Caroline Donnelly, Clare McDonald and Brian McKenna talk about the loan charge review that is bearing down on IT contractors, the Tech Talent Charter, Windows 7, and combating loneliness among remote workers Continue Reading

Real digital modernisation – a once-in-a-generation opportunity for the new UK government

A new UK government with a decisive majority offers a unique opportunity to finally introduce public services for the digital age – if the Conservatives are willing to take it Continue Reading

Loan charge under review: HMRC to invest £200,000 in readying IT systems for planned policy changes

Tax collection agency counts costs of having to upgrade IT systems to prepare for incoming changes to its controversial loan charge disguised remuneration policy, which has left thousands of IT contractors facing financial ruin Continue Reading

Nicky Morgan says new government will be pro-tech

DCMS minister outlines five key ways the government aims to support technology going forward, including being “unashamedly” pro-tech Continue Reading

High-tech firms provide boost to consulting industry

Data privacy and the shift to service-based models are some of the areas where companies such as Google and Apple are turning to consultants for support, according to a new report Continue Reading

UK government strengthens ties with African tech firms

Plans announced to develop startups in Africa as part of the announcements around the first UK-Africa investment summit Continue Reading

NHS Digital launches login toolkit

Self-service package can be integrated into healthcare apps and platforms Continue Reading

Norway’s government to upgrade digital in school curriculum

Primary and secondary schools in Norway will introduce more digital learning, following the latest government reforms Continue Reading

Cabinet Office launches data handling review

Oliver Dowden issues statement explaining the New Year Honours list leak and announces new practices after the publication of personal details of over 1,000 public figures Continue Reading

NHS SBS launches consumer-style procurement hub

NHS Shared Business Services’ cloud marketplace The Edge4Health kicks off with four major NHS organisations to transform the way the health service buys products and services Continue Reading

UK’s phone and internet bulk data surveillance unlawful, says EU court opinion

The Advocate General of the European Court of Justice issues legal opinions finding that the UK, French and Belgian bulk surveillance regimes are unlawful Continue Reading

Windows 7: Don’t cry for me

It may have gone unnoticed with the January 14 end of support deadline for Windows 7, but Microsoft’s 10 year old OS, had one last Patch Tuesday update. And , surprise, surprise, this included a ... Continue Reading

Loan charge under review: IT contractors slam government's planned policy revamp

The IT contractor community shares its verdict on the UK government's plans to revamp its controversial loan charge policy, which has left thousands of people facing life-changing tax bills and financial ruin Continue Reading

AWS to request temporary halt to Microsoft’s work on $10bn JEDI cloud contract

Amazon to file temporary restraining order with the US federal court to prevent Microsoft undertaking any substantial work relating to its delivery of US government’s JEDI cloud contract Continue Reading

Dasa awards AI warship contracts

First wave of £4m funding aims to transform defence platforms and tackle issues such as information overload faced by crews Continue Reading

Why subpostmasters are calling on the government to pay Horizon trial costs

The damages that subpostmasters will receive after their court victory against the Post Office fall well short of their calculated losses Continue Reading

IfG warns systems needed after Brexit transition are “impossible to deliver”

The IT required to be operational after December 2020 is almost certainly undeliverable, according to Institute for Government report Continue Reading

UK urged to take centre stage in global digital trade

Trade association TechUK sets out vision to liberalise digital trade policy, under principles such as the opposition to data localisation in exchange for market access to fend off the trend towards digital protectionism Continue Reading

Subpostmaster group calls for government to pay legal costs for Horizon trial

The group of subpostmasters that defeated the Post Office in court over a faulty IT system are calling for the government to pay the costs of the legal action Continue Reading

The UK civil service is broken and needs reform to deliver true digital government

Boris Johnson’s special adviser, Dominic Cummings, has attracted criticism for his plans to overhaul Whitehall culture, but one former government digital chief argues that he is absolutely right Continue Reading

New Cabinet Office junior minister takes over GDS duties

Jeremy Quin is the seventh minister to be responsible for the digital service since Francis Maude's departure in 2015 Continue Reading

Sadiq Khan calls for evolution of London Datastore

As the initiative reaches its 10th anniversary, City Hall wants data to be a key tool in tackling the capital's challenges and outlines future opportunities Continue Reading

Here we go again - strap yourself in for the next 10-year ride in digital government transformation

There’s a new UK government, one with a comfortable majority, and it’s clear it wants to use that advantage for radical change. The new prime minister says the government has “a mission to ... Continue Reading

Half of UK citizens want tighter data regulations

Over 50% of UK citizens believe the gathering and use of personal data should be subject to more stringent government oversight, according to Fujitsu Continue Reading

Fujitsu must face scrutiny following Post Office Horizon trial judgment

While the Post Office has suffered financial and reputational damage after losing its court battle with subpostmasters, the supplier of the IT system at the centre of the dispute has major PR challenges ahead Continue Reading

Implementing a 21st century approach to digital identity

The government’s attempts at digital identity have failed – it is time for a new, modern approach Continue Reading

Bus open data portal to go live in January 2020

The service will start by publishing route and timetable data and will evolve to provide fare and real-time location data in 2021 Continue Reading

Met Police to upgrade command and control system

Metropolitan Police Service signs Leidos to renew command and control setup under a 10-year programme Continue Reading

Highways England uses robot to speed up roadworks

A machine equipped with precise positioning technology carried out, in a few hours, road marking work that usually takes a week Continue Reading

The Post Office computer problem that destroyed the lives of pillars of the community

The Post Office’s refusal to believe subpostmasters were suffering losses due to computer system errors was incompetent and cruel Continue Reading

Iran likely to hit back with cyber attacks, security experts warn

The possibility of cyber attack by threat groups acting on behalf of the Iranian government has dramatically increased following US actions in Iraq Continue Reading

UK cyber security boss Ciaran Martin to step down

NCSC chief Ciaran Martin will leave his post in the summer of 2020 Continue Reading

Cummings issues recruitment call for data scientists to reshape Whitehall

Government’s most senior adviser appeals to data scientists to step forward to refashion how the UK state works Continue Reading

Call for former Post Office CEO to step down from public roles after IT court battle lost

Conservative peer is calling for former Post Office CEO to step down from high-profile public roles for her part in Horizon IT scandal Continue Reading

Virtuous circles: Skilling up for an ethical web

Tim Berners Lee’s Contract for the Web aims to drive the internet in a more ethical, open and human-centred direction. What does this mean for the future of IT skills and governance? Continue Reading

UK satellite data to spearhead fight against climate change

The Universities of Edinburgh and Leeds have joined forces in a £5m government-backed programme to use satellite data to combat climate change Continue Reading

Top 10 NHS stories of 2019

Here are Computer Weekly’s top 10 NHS stories of 2019 Continue Reading

Top 10 enterprise IT in the Benelux region stories of 2019

Here are Computer Weekly’s top enterprise IT stories from the Benelux region over the past year Continue Reading

Top 10 government IT stories of 2019

Computer Weekly looks back at the main stories related to government IT this year Continue Reading

Former Post Office CEO apologises to subpostmasters over Horizon scandal

Subpostmasters criticise former CEO’s apology for their suffering as “too little, too late” Continue Reading

Top 10 storage deployment stories of 2019

Here are ComputerWeekly’s top 10 storage deployment stories for 2019, which see quite a move away from traditional SAN and NAS to hyper-converged, software-defined storage and object storage Continue Reading

National Federation of Subpostmasters cries foul after court ruling on controversial computer system

The National Federation of Subpostmasters said it was misled by the Post Office about the robustness of the IT systems its members use Continue Reading

Finnish government supports local authorities in cyber security initiative

The Finnish government has committed resources to a cyber security project aimed at local authorities Continue Reading

Home Office details seven-point plan to cutting its Immigration Technology team's cloud costs by 40%

The Home Office has revealed how its Immigration Technology team cut cloud costs through spot and reserved instances, scheduling, auto-scaling and encouraging developers to spring clean test environments Continue Reading

Criminal Courts Review Commission to review Horizon judgment ‘swiftly’

The CCRC’s review of potentially unfair prosecutions of subpostmasters is just one of the unresolved issues in in relation to subpostmasters’ battle with the Post Office over its faulty IT system Continue Reading

HM Treasury mulls loan charge review findings, but will not confirm public release date

Contractor community frustrated by lack of concrete release date for review as loan charge settlement date of 31 January 2020 looms Continue Reading

How Saudi Arabia plans to become the Silicon Valley of the Middle East

With its young and educated population, Saudi Arabia has the potential to become a hub for tech innovation Continue Reading

The Horizon scandal is over but the fight continues - an inquiry into the Post Office is essential

There are not enough words to fully express the depth of scandal and outrage that should accompany the conclusion of the High Court case that finally and completely found that the Post Office ... Continue Reading

Podcast: The Computer Weekly Downtime Upload – Episode 41

In this week’s episode of the Computer Weekly Downtime Upload podcast, Caroline Donnelly, Clare McDonald and Brian McKenna have their Christmas Special, picking out a few gems, including the CW Diversity and Inclusion conference, and the team’s discussions of The Capture and The Circle Continue Reading

No change for tech in Boris Johnson’s new government – yet

Nicky Morgan remains in charge of digital policies as DCMS secretary, despite quitting as an MP before the General Election Continue Reading

Can Europe legally share data with the US? A court far away is about to decide

The European Court of Justice will deliver an opinion on whether Europe can legally continue to send private data about European citizens to the US Continue Reading

We can’t allow fake news and disinformation to upend our democracy

Fake news, misinformation and cyber attacks are part of our political process – now is the time to act Continue Reading

How software can support public involvement with democracy

Iceland, Scotland and Sweden have experimented with using online software to involve citizens more deeply in democratic processes. The key seems to be encouraging enlightened debate Continue Reading

Vilified then vindicated - victory for subpostmasters in Post Office trial shows risk of tech hubris

In 2004, Computer Weekly received a letter from Alan Bates, a former subpostmaster in Craig-y-Don, a coastal suburb of Llandudno in north Wales. It’s that long ago that the letter arrived ... Continue Reading

Post Office settles legal dispute with subpostmasters, ending 20-year battle for lead claimant

The Post Office has settled its long-running legal dispute with subpostmasters, and will pay £57.75m in damages Continue Reading

How can CIOs in Europe turn innovation into a competitive advantage?

CIOs across Europe are under pressure to innovate to help businesses grow and must think differently as a result Continue Reading

Department for Transport to build mapping tool for transport data

System will use place-based information on a range of transport-related issues and follows the announcement of a future of urban mobility plan Continue Reading

Podcast: The Computer Weekly Downtime Upload – Episode 40

In this week’s episode of the Computer Weekly Downtime Upload podcast, Clare McDonald and Brian McKenna range over the Waltham Forest Tech Camp, the opening of the Ohana floor at Salesforce’s London HQ, the UK & Ireland SAP User Group Conference in Birmingham, and the General Election Continue Reading

The art of surveillance: the Stasi archives and the Investigatory Powers Act

A photographic exhibition captures the chilling impact of surveillance in the UK and the former German Democratic Republic Continue Reading

Who should get the technology vote in the UK General Election?

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we take an in-depth look at the technology and digital policies in the main political parties’ election manifestos. We examine the rise of alternatives to relational databases that better support a big data environment. And we assess the security issues around container technology. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Scottish Justice Committee wants extra powers for biometrics commissioner

Members of Scottish Parliament in the Justice Committee have welcomed the creation of a biometrics commissioner for Scotland, but want ensure that they have the ‘necessary teeth’ for the job Continue Reading

Cloud computing surges in the UAE in 2019

Cloud computing take-up saw a significant acceleration in the Middle East throughout this year Continue Reading

UK government supports online counter-extremism

Work under the Building a Stronger Britain Together programme is due to be completed this month Continue Reading

Public sector still losing user devices in high numbers

The Ministry of Justice has lost 354 smartphones, PCs, laptops and tablets in the past 12 months, according to a Freedom of Information request, and other government departments are in the same boat Continue Reading

Online fact-checkers warn of misinformation on unprecedented scale in 2019 election

The UK’s elections watchdog, the Electoral Commission, is calling for new powers to regulate online political advertising Continue Reading

China bans foreign computing kit from government contracts

All government offices and public institutions must eliminate foreign hardware and software within three years, according to a leaked directive dubbed 3-5-2 Continue Reading

Conservative Party: Fostering an environment for IT and digital to flourish

Matt Warman, Conservative MP and minister for digital and broadband, outlines the Tory policies for technology and digital ahead of the General Election Continue Reading

FCO to boost cloud analysis setup

A new procurement process has been launched to bring in new features such as geospatial analysis Continue Reading

Tories plan electronic visa waiver for EU citizens

Pledge introduces the idea of electronic travel authorisation as part of plans to protect the UK border after Brexit Continue Reading