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
Faster Indicators: Why the ONS is checking CCTV footage for hints about the health of the economy
PublicTechnology sits down with ONS statisticians to learn more about the organisation’s Faster Indicators programme
Q&A: HMRC tech chief on how the department is ‘leading the way on government cloud adoption’
Daljit Rehal tells PublicTechnology about his priorities for the tax agency’s digital services and its programme to reform billions of pounds of tech procurement
IWD 2021: Female tech heroes and why inclusion matters
A range of experts from across the public sector digital and data scene tell us about their inspirations and the changes they would like to see before IWD 2022
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
Nine in ten prescriptions now fulfilled electronically
Minister says paper options will remain available
Bradford to create ‘brick-for-brick virtual clone’ of city centre
Open-source project hopes to improve policy design and service delivery
Booking website crashes minutes after expansion of vaccine programme
All adults aged over 45 can now book an appointment to be immunised
Opinion
Data governance is fundamental to our post-pandemic world
Coronavirus has shown the power of data and, according to Sue Daley of techUK, it is crucial that the UK implements the right laws to govern its use and protection
NHS workers must be at the centre of technology reform
The health service’s IT infrastructure badly needs an update. But modernisation efforts must not focus solely on the technology, believes Matt Fetzer of Reform.
The National Data Strategy needs a shot in the arm
The national plan for the UK’s data needs could learn from the successful vaccine rollout by prioritising experts and practitioners, according to Dan Klein of Zühlke UK