Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Public Sector Reform

Thursday 23 October 2025 · 2 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 2 Partly answered 0 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Lewis Atkinson asked the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology about the role of digital ID in public sector reform.
  • The Secretary of State thanked Lewis Atkinson and stated that the Cabinet Office now handles the policy, legislation, and strategic oversight of digital ID.
  • Elsie Blundell expressed concerns about the state of public services, particularly the Probation Service, left by the previous government.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Lewis Atkinson Lab Sunderland Central
Science & Technology
Context

The MP is seeking to understand the role of digital identity in modernising public services.

Question

Could my right hon. Friend outline what role he thinks digital ID could play in supporting public sector reform?

Answer from Darren Jones

I thank my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology for her dedicated work on the Prime Minister’s recent announcement on digital identity. As of today, the Cabinet Office has responsibility for the policy, legislation and strategic oversight of the digital ID programme, with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology leading on technical design, build and delivery.

Answered
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Q2 Elsie Blundell Lab Heywood and Middleton North
Justice & Courts
Context

The MP expresses concern over the state of local probation services following previous government cutbacks, highlighting issues with post-release monitoring of serious offenders.

Question

The last Government left the public services on which our constituents rely on their knees, with many just about keeping their head above water, and the Probation Service is no different. Since being elected, I have come to understand the dire ramifications of what can go wrong when local probation services are not performing to the standard that local people should expect, especially when it comes to the suitable placement and proper monitoring of serious offenders post release. What engagement is taking place between the Cabinet Office and the Ministry of Justice to ensure that when errors are made by local probation delivery units, there is proper accountability and corrective measures are taken to protect our constituents from those who could still cause them harm?

Answer from Darren Jones

I know that my hon. Friend has been a vocal campaigner for her constituents in relation to the injustice experienced through the Probation Service in and around her constituency. Public protection is, of course, a key priority for this Government, and serious further offences, although rare, are devastating for victims and their families. The Ministry of Justice and His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service take learnings from serious further offence reviews, inspectorate of probation reports and internal audits to identify opportunities for improvement, and the Cabinet Office supports those Departments in these endeavours.

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