PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Prison and Probation Service: Databases (19 February 2024)

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to page 139 of his Department’s publication, Ministry of Justice Annual Report and Accounts 2022-23, HC13, for what reason the new Public Protection Unit database within HM Prison and Probation Service was permanently halted.

Asked by:
Alex Davies-Jones (Labour)

The Public Protection database is an existing case management system which supports the work of His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS), the Parole Board and the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman. As with many systems of this nature, it has developed and evolved over time to meet the changing needs of the respective business areas.

HMPPS’s original plan was to create a completely new replacement service as the system was operated and managed by a third party in outdated technical code. In May 2022, a decision was taken to cease the complete replacement and move to re-platforming and develop the existing service, within Ministry of Justice Digital. This allows the Ministry of Justice to have closer scrutiny of the requirements of the tool. Re-platforming has already been successfully completed and work is underway to deliver longer term enhancements to the system.

Answered by:
Edward Argar (Conservative)
23 February 2024