Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether his Department has undertaken a cross-Government audit of legacy systems to inform the prioritisation of modernisation efforts.

The last survey of legacy systems was conducted in 2024. The scale of legacy varies by organisation and is not consistently measured, but it is estimated to comprise 28% of systems in central government departments in 2024, an increase from 26% in 2023.

Government Digital Service (GDS) has worked closely with HM Treasury throughout the recent spending review to ensure that decisions on funding took into account the need to replace and upgrade legacy IT systems. GDS will continue to work with both HMT and Departments going forward