Question to the Wales Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what steps their Department is taking to improve its digital services to provide better (a) accessibility and (b) user experience for the public.

The Central Digital and Data Office (CDDO) leads the Government Digital and Data function; this includes setting strategy and direction for the improvement of digital services and understanding current performance.

Since the publication of the National Disability Strategy in July 2021, CDDO has published the outcome of its work to monitor UK public sector websites and mobile applications. This can be found at the following link: Accessibility monitoring of public sector websites and mobile apps 2020-2021 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Outputs of this publication and other reviews of digital service performance across government have informed a new performance framework, created by CDDO, for service provision in Government.

This framework forms part of mission 1 of the Transforming for a Digital Future strategy, which commits HMG to move 50 of its Top 75 services (by volume) to ‘Great’ standard on the framework by 2025.

It explicitly requires compliance with the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) Accessibility Regulations 2018 (“accessibility regulations'') and sets thresholds for user experience, which are in line with global best practice.

CDDO is working proactively with departments to ensure that public services meet the requirements set out in the framework, in order to move them to ‘Great’ standard.

Alongside this, Government Digital Service (GDS) continues to monitor legal accessibility compliance across the public sector and CDDO monitors adherence to the Service Standard and Design Standard, all of which set out minimum requirements for user experience and accessibility and are formally monitored by CDDO through its Service Assessment process.

GOV.UK’s strategy aims to improve the overall user experience by making it quicker and easier for users to access information and services, in formats and channels of their choice.