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back to article UK.gov's digi-by-default plan slammed: Show us the savings - MPs

A letter that demands answers to a wide range of concerns expressed by MPs about the government's digital-by-default has landed on Cabinet Office Minister Francis Maude's desk. The Science and Technology Select Committee's chair Andrew Miller fired off the missive (PDF) to Maude, after gaping holes were spotted in evidence …

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  1. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    What ID assurance?

    The DWP might have approved ID assurance suppliers, they may even have given them money, but they aren't providing identity assurance for Universal Credit.

    As far as I know there is no 3rd party identity assurance mechanism in place, as was originally envisioned. I don't even think they have a technical framework as to how this would be achieved.

    There is certainly no framework for handling data disputes, as hinted at in the article. These in particular need to be in favour of the citizen with the onus of responsibility for correction/compensation lying with the ID assurance suppliers and the DWP.

    6 0
  2. Frankee Llonnygog

    Oh goodie

    The Maude Squad has been economic with the actualité on:

    - the savings they've realised

    - not delivering what they promised to deliver

    - claiming credit for delivering stuff that predated their existence

    - claiming the digital strategy is for thepublic's benefit when it's all about gutting the civil service

    - claiming they know how to do big systems when they're just a bunch of web baristas

    - claiming gov.uk is all about efficiency when it's actually about making sure all Government comms go via Downing Street

    - rolling out illegal pan-governmental data sharing

    It's past time they got called out

    12 0
  3. Will Godfrey Silver badge

    These people seem to be quite incapable of doing (or initiating) any meaningful research. Paypal, in particular has a horrendous record, and would appear to have achieved trustworthiness with a negative value.

    9 0
  4. smudge
    Big Brother

    Calling on the minister...

    "...to provide responses to unanswered questions about cost; security; awareness and uptake; identity assurance and data accuracy; and public confidence."

    "If you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear.

    Oh. Hang on. That's the answer to the one where they DON'T know that we have their data.

    Errr... what's the answer to this one?

    Oh yes. Thank you.

    Ahem - YOUR DATA IS SAFE WITH US.

    There you go. Now run along, public, and don't play out of sight of the cameras."

    4 0
  5. breakfast Silver badge

    Achievements of Dr Martyn

    I don't know about his work in the IT sector, but I when I was a teenager I used to wear his boots all the time.

    2 0
  6. John Smith 19 Gold badge
    Unhappy

    Funny how they *always * claim savings but never put in systems to *mearsure* them

    Is it not?

    As for "would" make saving that should definitely read "could," if implemented by competent staff as a business change programme rather than a "lets bung in another bit of software."

    1 0
  7. Don Jefe

    Add Computer

    Another shining example of the fact that the 'political class' is terribly out of touch. The idea that adding a computer to something instantly makes it cheaper or better has been disproven time and time again. It is like they're living in the 1950's and getting their knowledge of technology from comic books.

    I wonder if ones continued advancement of knowledge is somehow halted once the 'I'm going to be a politician' gene begins to express?

    3 0
  8. taxman
    Big Brother

    Emporers Clothes

    have been seen being worn in the Cabinet Office courtesy of Lord and Lady wossits along with Maxwell's silver hammer.

    1 0
  9. C. P. Cosgrove
    FAIL

    Pick up the slack ?

    "Instead it has insisted that libraries, job centres and other public places will pick up the slack."

    This whole scheme terrifies me, not because of any great direct impact it might have on me personally but because of the 7 million or so with no experience of using the internet. As the article points out, a large part of this 7 million comprises the poor, the elderly and the sick, who are the ones who need access to the benefits system most.

    I am fortunate that I live in an area where local government cost saving policies have not impacted greatly on the library service and in our nice shiny 18 month old combined library, community centre and Council office we have 12 computers available for public use. That is all well and good, but leaves one hell of a training problem for the 7 million with no internet experience. I am one of the trainers.

    I teach basic computing as a volunteer in the library and at the moment I am the only such volunteer. Most of my 'students' fall into the elderly category - I have had at least one who was in her '90s and learnt quite successfully - but a surprising number have considerable difficulty in grasping that you need to log-in to the computer with one password and then - for example - log-in to your e-mail account with a different one.

    I fear that people like this are essentially going to be cut off from the benefits system. And these have been people with reasonable command of their faculties. How about the seriously handicapped - my sister-in-law who is confined to a wheel chair, my neighbour who is blind ?

    Chris Cosgrove

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