Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the cost to the public purse was of the Emergency alert test on 23 April 2023; and whether a value-for-money analysis was carried out.

The Government’s number one job is to keep people safe. Emergency Alerts are a critical new tool in the Government’s toolkit for warning and informing people where their lives are at risk.

The total cost to date of developing the technical architecture and systems that underpin the emergency alert system, in addition to the first three years of operational delivery, will be a maximum of £25.3 million.

All the contracts were established using the civil service public procurement policy. The tender process was therefore subject to a legal framework which encountered free and open competition and value for money, in line with internationally and nationally agreed obligations and regulations.

The capability is currently within a trial period, which will review its use in the live and exercise environment. Any assessments of value for money will be carried out on completion of this.