Committee publication · Correspondence · 28 April 2026
Letter to the Acting Permanent Secretary relating to the Police National Database transformation programme 25.03.2026
From: Home Affairs Committee
Summary
The Home Affairs Committee writes to the Acting Permanent Secretary on 25 March 2026 seeking clarification on the failed Police National Database transformation programme. The committee requests details on the causes of failure, timeline of the problem, spending to date, supplier performance issues, and the Home Office's long-term strategy for the PND as it transitions management in-house.
Key findings
- The PND transformation programme, established in 2021, has experienced significant change in direction and apparent failure, now being brought in-house
- Committee seeks to understand root causes of programme failure and when the Home Office recognised it would not be deliverable
- Inquiry into total spending on PND since 2021 and potential financial reclamation from suppliers for performance failures
- Questions raised on operational risks arising from supplier removal and sustainability of the existing PND system
- Concerns about long-term PND strategy, particularly in context of Home Office police reform agenda and potential National Police Service responsibility
Tone
ProceduralTopics
public-financepolicingprogramme-managementdigital-infrastructure
Key actors
Home Affairs Committee, Dame Karen Bradley MP, Simon Ridley CB, Home Office, National Police Service
Notable line
“Following the significant change in direction of the department's approach to the Police National Database, it would be helpful if you could answer the following questions”
Key Quotes
“Following the significant change in direction of the department's approach to the Police National Database, it would be helpful if you could answer the following questions”
Source · parliament.uk record ↗