Content
Editorial
Pickles confirms plan to change electronic agenda rules
The government has confirmed that it is planning to legislate to allow councillors to be sent agendas for council meetings electronically.
Features
EXCL: Government warned of ‘serious risk’ to services as UKCloud customers hit with sevenfold price increase
Customers that cannot pay fees seven times higher than contracted price face a race against time to migrate data from collapsed £40m public sector hosting firm. PublicTechnology investigates.
'A lack of transparency and accountability' – DWP urged to shed light on fraud algorithm
The DWP has revealed it is using artificial intelligence to help detect fraud. But, as PublicTechnology discovers, some are concerned that it needs to reveal a lot more about how it does so.
No one is an island: How Caribbean states are working together to tackle cybercrime
Members of the Caribbean Community are working through an action plan to harmonise laws, increase investigative skills and broaden international cooperation. PublicTechnology finds out more.
Interview
In it for the long-run: Why Luton council signed a 10-year ICT deal
Luton Borough Council chose to renew its IT contract rather than go with a new provider. The council’s technology lead tells Gill Hitchcock how it shifted to an outcomes-based approach – and why a flexible 10-year contract can still be a good deal.
‘The skill set for any CIO is the same’: Socitm president Geoff Connell on moving from borough to county
Geoff Connell took up his role of CIO at Norfolk County Council in August last year. Rebecca Hill asks him how he found the change from the London Borough of Newham, and finds out what’s on his to-do list.
News
NHS trials digital GP health check-ups that patients can complete remotely
Thousands of patients in Cornwall will be the first to online system for delivering checks to patients aged over 40
MPs bemoan lack of assessment of major projects
Reports on progress of big transformation and infrastructure programmes are patchy and often lacking in detail, according to PAC
HMRC phone and online services impacted by weekend outages
Treasury committee presses department for answers
Opinion
For the US government, good design is a civic duty
In light of plans to overhaul USA.gov, YuJune Park of Parsons School of Design explains the revamp must put citizens first
Local authorities and their suppliers must connect the digitally excluded
Various vulnerable groups are among those at risk of lacking the connectivity or skills to engage with public services, according to Graham Cutting of Cantium
Government can help make the UK a world-leader in quantum technology
A pipeline of both technical and commercial skills, and proper consideration of the ethical implications is needed to ensure organisations are not left behind, according to Laura Foster of techUK