UK Government Hasn't the Foggiest How Much It's Spending on Digital Transformation

"Arthur T Knackerbracket" writes:

Years of promises, but officials unable to put a figure on investment:

The UK government says its finance systems cannot produce consistent annual figures showing how much departments and public bodies spend on digital transformation.

The Science and Technology Committee's June report warned that spending was fragmented and the government lacked a clear plan for a digital state. The UK public sector spends more than 26 billion annually on digital technology, but that broad estimate does not provide a comparable departmental breakdown.

Responding to the committee, the government agreed with the "intent to publish annual data on digital and data-driven spending" but said it did not "believe this is currently practicable." Existing finance systems could not "provide consistent, reliable and comparable data across departments."

"The government is open to this as a direction of travel and will work with HM Treasury to consider how this could be developed over time," the response said.

Committee chair Dame Chi Onwurah, who is due to address Parliament on Thirsday, said: "There's no shortage of hype about how technology can improve public services and reduce costs. Yet, frustratingly, the government cannot provide a clear picture of how much is being spent on digital transformation across departments and public bodies.

"At a time when ministers are asking taxpayers to fund significant investment in technology, it's concerning that they cannot show where the money is going or how value for money is being measured. This must be addressed as a matter of urgency."

Read more of this story at SoylentNews.