Good morning everyone, and many thanks to Govnet for inviting me here today and giving me the opportunity to share the plans and priorities for the Digital, Data and Technology Function for the coming year, led by the Central Digital and Data Office. The theme of the next two days is enhancing government to citizen engagement through the digital evolution, and there is so much to talk about as always.

Earlier this year, the Cabinet Office announced the new DDaT leadership team. The appointments of Paul Willmott and Joanna Davinson to the newly established Central Digital and Data Office, strengthen the leadership and vision needed for the next phase of digital delivery and transformation in government.

The CDDO has been established to lead the DDaT function across departments. Our mission is to improve user access and experience of government services and harness the power of data. As such, through this collective leadership we will use and upskill the expertise of our cross-government DDaT community and put the strategy, standards and assurance mechanisms in place to deliver the digital transformation we’ve been waiting for at scale.

Government, and the stakeholders that it exists to serve, are rapidly becoming ‘digital’ in every way. The shift to digital is a long term trend that has been accelerated by COVID-19 and will continue with improving technology like the rollout of 5G. Now, more than ever, digital must be front and centre of government’s priorities to meet user needs.

There is strong backing and support from my Ministerial colleagues and leaders across government to accelerate the digital transformation of public services – the introduction of the CDDO is evidence of this.

With the creation of CDDO, and a reinvigorated GDS, this is a critical moment we must seize. We must take the opportunity this new focus provides and deliver the transformational agenda to meet our citizens’ expectations. Already we are seeing glimpses of the future today. With GOV.UK Accounts we will enable people to better understand government through a more personalised, low-friction experience, one that joins up whole journeys for services in a single space. I’m excited to see how this work will see a positive shift in the relationship citizens have with government.

Underpinning this work will be digital identity assurance. We have recently begun a digital identity pilot project, deliberately small in scale at the start, that will create the proof of concept. This is being led and coordinated by GDS, co-designed with departments and public services, and be largely government-built and government-owned. This will be a successor to Verify and, in time, replace other digital identity systems used across government. Further reducing the complexity of needing multiple accounts to interact with government.

Citizens rightly expect a modern service fit for the 21st century. This vision will provide that and has the potential to radically transform the relationship between government and people, delivery of public services and development of joined-up policy; enabling the UK to remain at the forefront of digital government.

But none of this can be achieved without a strong strategic centre, making better use of data, and building capability across the Digital, Data and Technology Function.

The Prime Minister made a manifesto pledge during the 2019 election campaign to improve the government’s use of data. Since then, our experiences of crisis response – such as trying to identify the 2.6 million people most in need of financial support in the early days of tackling the coronavirus – have shown just how significant data sharing is to the economy, society and the public sector; and how it will help to power growth as we set about our recovery.

Take, for example, government data from PAYE and the benefits system which has boosted the Treasury’s furlough scheme and DWP’s expansion of universal credit. Or the data from NHS Digital which was used to draw up the ‘shielding’ list of vulnerable people and was the basis for how we supported over half a million vulnerable people with almost 5 million food boxes, priority supermarket delivery slots and other support services by local authorities; and the vaccination programme owes its success in part to being able to organise cohorts by age and risk from patient lists already held by GPs.

As the country emerges from lockdown we will take forward what we have learned, to make sure that we use data more intelligently and sensitively in how we craft and deliver public services, balancing having innovative, joined up services with privacy and ethical considerations. The pandemic has given fresh impetus to digital projects across the public sector, with 90 services stood up across government since March in response to COVID-19. So it is timely that today I can talk to you about the ambitions for the CDDO in 2020/21: the immediate priorities across data, infrastructure and capability, and the longer term ambitions for the CDDO and digital transformation in government.

True digital transformation can only be achieved with robust, reliable and accessible data. It is a crucial enabler which will make the UK the world-leading digital government we aspire to be. At the heart of this aim is better, more personalised and responsive services for citizens, improving the government’s approach to policy and decision-making, and bringing efficiencies for government, saving taxpayer money.

By building a truly joined-up and interoperable data ecosystem for government, we will improve the way government collects, uses and shares data. This will benefit citizens and government by providing them with tailored and responsive public services,

We need to tackle the issues that are stopping us from using data on tap. Data is too often stuck in silos within departments and agencies – there are also other legislative, technical and security blockers which stop us from sharing data. Crucially, there isn’t enough of the right talent and tools in place which means that even when data is made available, we aren’t able to take full advantage of new technologies that could not only help us fix current issues, but predict and more effectively manage future challenges.

Through the CDDO, we intend to tackle this long-standing issue head on. We will do this by establishing a common data model for government with core data standards, reference data and policies. This will enable easier and ethical sharing of data.

We are also committed to transforming the way data is collected, managed and used across government. We intend to create a joined up and interoperable data infrastructure.

We have already made progress in this area as set out in the National Data Strategy published last year. At last year’s Digital Government event, GDS launched plans for a GOV.UK Account, to enable a joined-up, proactive, efficient and personalised public services on GOV.UK. And later this morning, Ash Smith from the GDS Digital Identity team will be speaking about ‘one login for government’ – another step in harnessing the power of data to bring real-life benefits to users using government services. But we know there is still more to do, and CDDO has been established to tackle this.

CDDO is responsible for delivering the third mission of the National Data Strategy, transforming the government’s use of data to drive efficiency and improve public services. In order to achieve this mission, there are some fundamental areas we need to focus on.

Firstly, we need to tackle the cultural and legal barriers to good quality data in government. We need to develop a clear understanding of what data is held and where, promote better data collection and efficient data sharing. So engaging with departments is critical – understanding their challenges and where the CDDO might provide immediate, tactical support to remove blockers.

Secondly, we must look at standards and assurance. We have already made great strides in this area, thanks to the Data Standards Authority, which was set up in April 2020 to improve how the public sector manages data.

For over a year now, the DSA has been working with experts across the public sector and devolved administrations, the private sector and academia, to identify, improve and help implement data standards that meet user needs and improve interoperability. The standards we have established now make it easier and more effective to share and use data across government.

An example of setting data standards is the API Catalogue, which collates a list of government APIs to help unblock issues such as reuse and data exchange. To continue the progress in this area, the DSA will continue to focus on setting and driving the adoption of standards for data, so it can lead to greater consistency, integrity and interoperability.

It will be important to link these data standards to spend controls and form a consensus on government data infrastructure and continuing to prioritise the wide and effective use of data across government through a reliable API ecosystem.

Thirdly, we will increase our accountability and responsibility for this work through new governance structures, and leveraging spend controls.

To achieve our ambitions, we of course need the right people in post and for them to be trained and upskilled to face the challenges ahead. This is our fourth area of focus, which I will talk about later about when I go through our plans for capability, leadership and culture.

And finally, and arguably most critically, we need to take the public on the journey with us, and place ethics and public trust at the core of our delivery.

We recently refreshed the UK’s Data Ethics Framework, and are now embedding the Framework in various government processes and scoping opportunities for developing and promoting data ethics skills.

We are also committed to the open data agenda, and through our transparency will retain the trust and confidence of the public.

In order to make the most of data we need to fix the elephant in the room – legacy IT. Because as long as we continue to rely on outdated systems and technology, we will be unable to fully harness the opportunities of emerging technologies and modern digital solutions.

This is a problem felt across the public sector. And a core reason the Central Digital and Data Office has been established is to work across government to define the future for HMG’s technology estate and to clarify priorities and roadmaps for dealing with red-rated legacy IT.

Although a decade of transformation has brought major improvements, approaches to technology across government have not yet been sufficiently modernised, or joined up enough, to support our ambition. Despite departments separately taking steps to transform, single departmental accountability, sub-optimal procurement and varied approaches have allowed siloed and restrictive architectures to develop.

Too many systems are disconnected, offer poor user experience and are insufficiently responsive to deliver at pace. Teams struggle to collaborate because systems are not interoperable and built on open standards.

This is not a new issue, and we know much more needs to be done to address it. Over the past year for example cross government working has raised the profile and understanding of legacy leading to the investment of more than £600 million at the last spending review to address critical risks – but this is only one step.

Addressing legacy remains a key focus. Our next phase of work will build on what we have done so far, further identifying legacy assets and agreeing prioritisation and funding while working with departments to develop roadmaps for addressing risks. Removing legacy IT also achieves value for money by removing excessive costs to support out of date technology.

Progress has also been made moving to cloud, but generally in a siloed way, with the result that many systems stand on different, disconnected cloud architectures with disparate ways of working, while some departments remain locked in to inefficient legacy data centres.

In order to work collaboratively there needs to be clarity on what should be done consistently, and what should be allowed to vary, and then managing compliance with the approach. So we will shortly be starting discovery work to understand the most effective way of aligning and assuring technology strategies and roadmaps with careful consideration given to existing cross-government assurance structures and of course all of our past experience.

We want to ensure that interoperable IT supports improvements to collaborative working across the Civil Service. So we will develop a framework and a blueprint for our office systems that provides a baseline and allows us to monitor progress towards better interoperability. In the future, no new IT systems will be created without consideration of interoperability with other relevant government systems.

Our vision is for highly capable and interoperable systems, with plug and play technology that allows products and components to be swapped in and out as technologies, legislation and ways of working change and advance. This is vital to meet new challenges and serve different users flexibly, at pace, and in line with changing needs and expectations. For government, it will support more agile ways of working, along with more efficient and better organisational outcomes. For citizens, it will lead to improved services and ensure that the experience when interacting with the government is much more akin to what they are used to from the private sector.

To achieve this vision we need to continue with the work to integrate agile ways of working across government. Citizens should be involved in the services we’re building for them from the first stages of concept design through to the service going live. Many teams across government are already working along agile lines because it allows them to build and test quickly, iterating their work based on regular feedback from users. It puts users first and means services are much more responsive to the needs of the public, and able to respond quickly to policy changes.

The CDDO will promote agile ways of working across government, specifically in digital projects and programmes. To do this we want to build capability and equip all civil servants with the digital skills required to lead and run modern organisations. We want to continue the work we’ve been doing with HMT for a number of years to improve the business case process and introduce a common set of KPIs to measure how agile services and teams are performing.

Using agile puts users first and means services are able to respond quickly to policy changes and the needs of the public.

Having the right digital skills underpins everything we want to do. So continuing to invest in building more capability within the Digital, Data and Technology Profession is vital. Over 18,000 civil servants work in this profession and we want people to see working in government as a destination of choice for their career. As part of this we’ll be increasing opportunities across the UK through the creation of jobs outside London and investment in apprenticeships and training as we build back better.

Equally important is looking at career development opportunities and making sure the right incentives are in place to encourage people to pursue engineering and other specialities. Alongside regularly reviewing things like the DDaT pay framework to make sure we remain competitive.

Finally there is an ambition to make more of our early talent programmes like the DDaT Fast Stream, with potential for university feeder courses and building tech hubs across the country to help seed local technology ecosystems being explored.

But looking beyond the DDaT Profession, we need digital skills and understanding across all levels of government – we need to bring everyone along on this journey. So improving the digital and data literacy of all civil servants and members of government, particularly senior leaders, is crucial to realising the ambition of having world leading digital services and the next phase of digital transformation. It is central to the effective running of any modern organisation.

We also need to be able to continually monitor and understand how digital services are being used by citizens, and the benefits they are giving. This is not just so we can constantly iterate and evolve them, but key to ensuring the UK has a world leading digital offer.

The UK is rightly recognised as a global digital leader, we consistently rank in the top ten worldwide in international digital government rankings. The UK is currently ranked 2nd in the OECD’s Digital Government Index, 7th in the UN’s E-Government Development Index and 1st in the Open Data Barometer.

But we don’t want to stop there. Our aim now is to build on these achievements and ensure the UK becomes the world’s leading digital government, our citizens deserve nothing less.

To help achieve this the CDDO are exploring what a cross-government performance framework should look like and how this can be used to track and report progress.

This framework will include a set of outcome focused metrics to be used consistently across government with a central approach to monitoring and reporting progress.

We need to move away from building and monitoring in isolation, or in silos, now we must build together.

So those are our priorities for the first year, but we must also prepare for the pace of transformation to be sustained and continue into the future. It will come as no surprise to hear that the CDDO have been giving a lot of thought around what our longer term goals should be.

Many services have been improved over the past decade, but all too often it has not been the end-to-end transformation that is now required. CDDO, working with departments and GDS, will explore how services and departments work together to cover major life events and where the join up should be. This ties into wider government ambitions to reduce multiple logins through GOV.UK Accounts.

Current government funding models are largely designed to support project work within departments. With projects, you generally know exactly what you will build upfront, but Digital, Data and Technology products are often created in an iterative way, so this is a bit of a different approach and requires a different funding approach too. We need to try to bring together ways of funding Digital, Data and Technology that allow for innovation and flexibility across departments, as well as provide enough certainty that government money is being spent in the right ways. The CDDO will be working with HMT to explore options and ways to do this, including agile business case approaches, promotion of cross-department solutions, and outcome based accountability.

With our new found procurement freedoms from exiting the EU the CDDO, working with the Crown Commercial Service, will strengthen commercial technology skills and create a sourcing playbook to support departments who need to bring in services or specific skills. We’re also keen to hear from departments to understand the appetite for joint procurement.

We don’t want to just simplify procurement though, we need to develop genuine partnerships with strategic suppliers and ensure the focus is on outcomes and value delivered.

Thank you for listening and giving me this opportunity to introduce the mission and priorities of the CDDO.

There is a lot still to do – and with the creation of the CDDO, and all of our commitment and determination, I know we are up for the challenge. There is so much we can achieve by working together, sharing our knowledge, experience and expertise, to shape and deliver digital transformation. And for all of us there could be no greater prize than to improve people’s experience of government, and through that change people’s lives – for good.

Good afternoon

throughout this pandemic we’ve tried to keep people abreast of the last information as soon as we get it.

And since I spoke to you last Monday,

we’ve seen further clusters of the B.1.617.2, the variant first observed in India,

we’ve seen it especially in Bolton, Blackburn with Darwen and some other parts of the country.

At this stage there are some important unknowns.

We believe this variant is more transmissible than the previous one

– in other words it passes more easily from person to person –

but we don’t know by how much.

I am told that if it’s only marginally more transmissible, we can continue more or less as planned.

But if the virus is significantly more transmissible, we are likely to face some hard choices.

We are going to be learning a lot more in the coming days and weeks about that.

The good news is that so far we have no evidence to suggest our vaccines will be less effective in protecting people against severe illness and hospitalisation.

So that means we are in a different position from the last time we face a new variant before Christmas

because of the scale of our vaccine roll-out,

which PHE estimates has already saved almost 12,000 lives and prevented over 33,000 people from being hospitalised.

So I believe we should trust in our vaccines to protect the public whilst monitoring the situation very closely.

Because the race between our vaccination programme and the virus may be about to become a great deal tighter.

And it’s more important than ever therefore that people get the additional protection of a second dose.

So following advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation,

we will accelerate remaining second doses to the over 50s and those clinically vulnerable right across the country so they are just eight weeks after the first dose,

and if you are in this group the NHS will be in touch with you.

We will also prioritise first doses for anyone eligible who has not yet come forwards,

including the over 40s –

and I urge anyone in those groups to come forwards as soon as you can.

At this stage, there is no evidence of increased cases translating into unmanageable pressures on the NHS

even in Bolton –

and infections, deaths and hospitalisations nationally remain at their lowest levels since last Summer.

So – and this is a balanced decision – I do not believe on present evidence that we need to delay our roadmap,

and we will proceed with our plan to move to step 3 in England from Monday.

But I have to level with you that this could be a serious disruption to our progress and could make it more difficult to move to step 4 in June,

and I must again stress we will do whatever it takes to keep the public safe.

Our surveillance and data gathering is now so advanced, that if there was a danger of the NHS coming under unsustainable pressure, we would see the signs in the data very early on and could react in good time,

and that gives us the confidence to continue moving forwards for now.

But I urge everyone to exercise the greatest caution because the choices we each make in the coming days will have a material effect on the road ahead.

To those living in Bolton and Blackburn,

I am very sorry that you are once again suffering from this virus.

I know how hard it has been for you, having been in a form of national or local lockdown for longer than almost everywhere else.

But now it is more vital than ever that you play your part in stopping the spread.

We will not be preventing businesses from reopening on Monday, but we will be asking you to do your bit.

Take the vaccine when you can.

Get your free, twice-weekly rapid tests.

If you do test positive, you must self-isolate – and we’ll provide financial support, to help to those on low incomes to help them do so.

And as we move away from living our lives by government rules and as we learn to live with this virus,

then, as I said on Monday, we need to make our own decisions about how best to protect ourselves and our loved ones – informed by the risks.

And for those living in Bolton and other affected areas, there is now a greater risk from this new variant

so I urge you to be extra cautious.

Our best chance of suppressing this variant is to clamp down on it where it is

and we will be throwing everything we can at this task.

Colonel Russ Miller – Commander of the North West Region – will be deployed to support local leaders in managing the response on the ground.

There will be surge testing, with mobile testing units, and the army will be on the streets handing out tests.

And there will targeted new activity in Bolton and Blackburn to accelerate vaccine take-up among eligible cohorts – including longer opening hours at vaccination sites.

And to everyone across the whole country, wherever you live,

please get tested twice a week for free, get a jab if you are eligible,

remember hands, face, space and fresh air

observe social distancing from those you do not know,

and if you are seeing loved ones think really carefully about the risk to them

especially if they have not had that second dose – or it hasn’t yet had the time to take full effect.

I want us to trust people to be responsible and to do the right thing.

That’s the way to live with this virus, while protecting our NHS and restoring our freedoms.

And it’s very clear now we are going to have to live with this new variant of the virus as well for some time.

So let’s work together – and let’s exercise caution and common sense.

• COP26 President Alok Sharma spoke at Whitelee Windfarm outside of Glasgow on the urgent need for action on climate change
• UK Ministers visited sites across the country to showcase UK climate action and leadership towards a green economy
• Mr Sharma repeated work towards hosting the UN climate conference in person

COP26 President-Designate Alok Sharma marked less than six months to go until the climate change summit this November at Whitelee Windfarm in Glasgow, as Government Ministers travelled across the country to see how the UK is greening all parts of society.

In his speech, Mr Sharma set out the four goals the UK as hosts will be focusing on in the run up to the summit – securing global net zero, protecting communities and natural habitats from the impacts of climate change, mobilising finance and working together to accelerate action.

In support of the UK’s presidency of COP26 and UK climate action, ministers visited the towns and cities leading the green revolution across the country planning for a net zero emissions future.

In his speech, Mr Sharma spoke of the need for every country and every part of society to seize the opportunity of the climate summit in Glasgow and embrace their responsibility to protect our planet.

Mr Sharma said:

It is not a choice between cleaning up our environment and growing economies.

We can do both at the same time. Indeed we have done both at the same time.

The UK is a beacon of green growth. As a whole, the UK will completely phase out coal power by 2025 at the latest.

To see first-hand how renewable energy is supporting thousands of jobs across the country, Chancellor Rishi Sunak visited Siemens Gamsea, an offshore wind blade manufacturer, who are planning to double the size of their site in Hull and create 200 further green jobs on the site.

While Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng went to Able Seaton Port in Hartlepool which is transforming into a major hub for offshore wind including manufacturing wind turbine blades.

The green economy is also generating new businesses, as Work and Pensions Secretary Therese Coffey saw when she met young Kickstarters at a bicycle workshop in London.

A clean energy transition to a net zero economy is also a key part of the UK’s work as COP26 Presidency. The UK started the COP26 Energy Transition Council, where leaders of the world’s international organisations focus on the global power sector.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps visited Cranfield University’s National Flying Laboratory, where he saw ongoing research into the use of hydrogen in aviation.

Wales Secretary Simon Hart went to a renewable energy project at Llys-y-Frân Lake in West Wales where a hydroelectric generator is creating power for more than 300 homes.

While Transport Minister Andrew Stephenson visited the Stanlow Refinery on the south bank of the Manchester ship canal, where there are plans to build a facility to convert non-recyclable household and commercial waste into sustainable aviation fuel. Once built, this will link to Manchester Airport, making it the only airport globally to have a direct link to this kind of fuel.

And Minister for Climate Change Lord Callanan was in Staffordshire at JCB’s Head Office and Innovation Centre, where he saw their pioneering work with hydrogen. He then visited Keele University, to learn about their Smart Energy Network Demonstrator, and see the wind turbines and solar panels the have built for the campus.

At COP26, the UK will work with partners to take forward action on protecting and restoring forests and critical ecosystems, and will champion the transition towards sustainable, resilient and nature positive agriculture.

Protecting people and nature is the second key goal Mr Sharma set out for COP26 in his speech and there are already examples in the UK for how this can be achieved.

Environment Minister Rebecca Pow visited the Avalon Marshes, a wetland landscape at the heart of Somerset’s Levels and Moors. The site was restored from a former brownfield site into wildlife-rich habitats, with a mix of birds now thriving there.

Mr Sharma said in his speech that a net zero economy means greening every part of society. This includes the UK’s healthcare, justice and education systems.

Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Matt Hancock visited West Suffolk Hospital to talk about the NHS net zero ambition and the push for the 40 new hospitals to be environmentally friendly.

Justice Minister Robert Buckland visited HMP Five Wells – the new prison being constructed in Wellingborough – to announce that the next four prisons being built in England will be constructed to omit net zero carbon emissions in the future. Overall, the new designs are expected to reduce CO2 emissions by 280,000 tonnes and cut £100 million in energy costs over the next 60 years.

Schools Minister Nick Gibb visited a primary school in Sussex to learn about the school’s environmental ethos and spoke to teachers and students about their interest in climate change action.

In concluding his speech, Mr Sharma repeated the importance of COP26 for the UK and the world to take responsibility and work together to keep the aim of limiting a global temperature rise of 1.5C alive.

This is our last hope of keeping 1.5 degrees alive. Our best chance of building a brighter future. A future of green jobs and cleaner air.

I have faith that world leaders will rise to the occasion, and not be found wanting in their tryst with destiny.

That, in six months time, when we are packing up and going home, we will be able to say, that at this critical juncture, each of us took responsibility.

That we chose to act. And that we kept 1.5 degrees alive.

Notes to editors

• COP26 President Alok Sharma’s speech “Pick the Planet” can be accessed on gov.uk
• Whitelee Windfarm is the largest onshore wind farm in the UK, while the UK is the largest producer of offshore wind energy in the world.
• COP26 is regarded widely as the most significant climate event since COP21, the 2015 United Nations climate conference which resulted in the Paris Agreement. At the Paris Conference, for the first time, the world set the goal to limit global warming to well below 2, preferably to 1.5 degrees Celsius, compared to pre-industrial levels (1850-1900).
• COP26 is the agreed five-yearly stocktake point where countries will agree action to reach this 1.5C target.
• Between 1990 and 2019 the UK has reduced our total greenhouse gas emissions by 44% whilst growing our economy by 78%.
• In 2012, 40% of UK electricity came from coal. That figure is now less than 2%. We will have completely phased out coal power by 2025.