Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether his Department plans to mandate the adoption of common technical architecture and standards across departments as part of digital transformation efforts.

The Government is committed to delivering systematic shifts in how whole organisations work together to deliver joined up public services. This includes changes such as using shared digital and data infrastructure to meet common needs.

The Government committed to setting up a Technical Design Council led by expert technology, data and AI practitioners, to tackle the toughest and most strategic technical decisions with the needs of the whole sector in mind.

The Government also committed to consolidating guidance and standards for digital and technology, retiring out-of-date and duplicative things, updating critical ones, streamlining the information teams need and making it easier for them to understand what to do.