"MPs express concern about the digital by default strategy"

C.f. Digital-by-default, an open letter to the House of Commons Science and Technology Committee and Digital-by-default – an eternal mystery? and Four professors review the Government Digital Strategy and IDAP: the stories our MPs are told and Shakespeare's take on property and ...

From: Science & Technology Committee [mailto:scitechcom@parliament.uk] Sent: 09 July 2013 00:01 Subject: Science and Technology Committee Press Release No.18: Embargoed until 00.01am Tuesday 9 July 2013 To: Attachments: 130617 Chair to Francis Maude.pdf  SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COMMITTEE Select Committee Announcement No. 18 (13-14): 8 July 2013 MPS EXPRESS CONCERNS ABOUT THE THE DIGITAL BY DEFAULT STRATEGY **EMBARGOED until 00.01am Tuesday 9 July 2013** The Science and Technology Committee has today written to Cabinet Office Minister Francis Maude MP raising a number of concerns about the Government’s Digital by Default strategy – including questions about the potential savings promised by the strategy and its implications for personal data security. The Committee urges the Government to be clearer about the savings being made as services become Digital by Default, including the costs of designing, or redesigning, online services. Andrew Miller MP, Chair of the Select Committee said: “A key justification of the Digital by Default strategy is savings to the taxpayer. Yet it is not evident that the Government is even able to measure these savings.”  In addition, the Committee is concerned that as public services go online, the Government may not keep up with advances in technology and that inadequacies in Government software may lead to security vulnerabilities. There is a risk that third party suppliers providing identity assurance could pass on their security vulnerabilities. Andrew Miller MP, said: “Public trust is absolutely essential. The Government must ensure the integrity and security of data and give people sufficient control over their stored personal information otherwise, the Digital by Default strategy will not succeed. We will continue to monitor the implementation of the strategy.”  The Committee considered the recently published draft identity assurance principles and suggests that the Government includes a ninth principle stating that (i) if a dispute arises concerning a citizen’s online dataset, that the citizen should be initially presumed correct; and (ii) if a mistake has been made, the citizen’s data should be instantly corrected. Digital by Default evidence sessions Science and Technology Committee Follow the Committee's business on Twitter @CommonsSTC FURTHER INFORMATION Committee Membership: Andrew Miller (Labour, Ellesmere Port and Neston) (Chair) Jim Dowd (Labour, Lewisham West and Penge) Stephen Metcalfe (Conservative, South Basildon and East Thurrock) David Morris (Conservative, Morecambe and Lunesdale) Stephen Mosley (Conservative, City of Chester) Pamela Nash (Labour, Airdrie and Shotts) Sarah Newton (Conservative, Truro and Falmouth) Graham Stringer (Labour, Blackley and Broughton) David Tredinnick (Conservative, Bosworth) Hywel Williams (Plaid Cymru, Arfon) Roger Williams (Liberal Democrat, Brecon and Radnorshire) Specific Committee Information:  scitechcom@parliament.uk / 020 7219 2793 Media Information: Nick Davies  daviesnick@parliament.uk / 020 7219 3297 Committee Website: www.parliament.uk/science Watch committees and parliamentary debates online:  www.parliamentlive.tv Publications / Reports / Reference Material: Copies of all select committee reports are available from the Parliamentary Bookshop (12 Bridge St, Westminster, 020 7219 3890) or the Stationery Office (0845 7023474).  Committee reports, press releases, evidence transcripts, Bills; research papers, a directory of MPs, plus Hansard (from 8am daily) and much more, can be found on www.parliament.uk. UK Parliament Disclaimer: This e-mail is confidential to the intended recipient. If you have received it in error, please notify the sender and delete it from your system. Any unauthorised use, disclosure, or copying is not permitted. This e-mail has been checked for viruses, but no liability is accepted for any damage caused by any virus transmitted by this e-mail.