3 Addressing poor quality of information
within the Home Office
15. The Home Office made a commitment to improve
data quality and introduced a new quality assurance scheme in
its reform plan, published in July 2006, which aimed to improve
public confidence in delivery of its core business.[25]
Despite recognising the importance of accurate data, the Home
Office provided data to the National Audit Office on perceptions
of anti-social behaviour which the Home Office later admitted
was incorrect and revised data was submitted in advance of our
hearing.[26] An internal
review of 160 data sets in the Home Office had identified 30 which
were inadequate. These data sets were being reviewed urgently
as part of the Reform plan.[27]
16. The Comptroller & Auditor General disclaimed
an opinion on the Home Office's Resource Accounts for 2004-05
because weaknesses in the accounting system and financial management
within the Home Office meant that the Department was unable to
submit its accounts in time for the audit to be completed to the
statutory timetable. His examination was also severely limited
by the fact that the Home Office had not maintained proper books
and records which would have enabled it to disclose with reasonable
accuracy at any time the financial position of the Department.
17. Inaccurate data was also provided to this Committee
in 2005 and 2006 on the release of foreign national prisoners
released from custody without consideration for deportation. In
July 2006 this Committee concluded that the Home Office did not
have a grip on the issue of foreign nationals released from prison
and not deported. It could not provide any assurance that foreign
nationals were no longer being released from custody without consideration
of deportation or that definitive action was being taken to improve
the situation.[28]
18. In 2004, this Committee took evidence on a Report
by the Comptroller and Auditor General on the Criminal Records
Bureau (the Bureau), in which the Comptroller and Auditor General
noted that the Bureau was unable to check the criminal history
of British applicants during periods they had spent abroad because
of difficulties in accessing overseas criminal databases.[29]
Prior to 2005, a 1959 Council of Europe convention provided for
more than 40 member states to exchange data on the criminal convictions
of their citizens in other member countries, but these arrangements
operated on a fragmented and piecemeal basis. In March 2006, following
a 2005 European Council decision, the Association of Chief Police
Officers (ACPO) was designated the mandatory central authority
for mutual legal assistance for this country. The Home Office
passed to ACPO a backlog of 27,500 notifications, some of which
went back several years, and which had not been entered on the
Police National Computer. Some 10 months later, details of just
260 of the 540 serious notifications had been entered onto the
Police National Computer. On the 22 May 2007 the Department reported
that the backlog has now been eliminated and that details of all
relevant offenders have now been entered on to the Police National
Computer. This process identified 2,198 individuals who had been
involved in the most serious types of offences or had committed
crimes of a sexual nature. The individuals involved in these cases
have been flagged on the Violent and Sexual Offenders' Register
and/or, where possible, been referred to police forces to consider
monitoring. In many cases, however, the UK Central Authority for
the Exchange of Criminal Records is not aware of the current location
of the offender and has therefore been unable to refer them to
the relevant police force.[30]
19. The Accounting Officer response to the Department's
Capability Review in July 2006 committed the Home Office to improve
urgently the quality and accuracy of its management information
and numerical data. The Home Office needs to change attitudes
within the Department so that problems are surfaced and addressed
promptly, enabling public confidence in the Department to be rebuilt.[31]
The Report to the Permanent Secretary as to how and why the backlog
of cases had arisen identified systemic weaknesses in accountability,
working practices, risk management and leadership.[32]
These themes are being addressed as part of the Home Office Reform
Plan, published in July 2006. Following the Inquiry a misconduct
case was brought against one member of Home Office staff and internal
disciplinary action short of dismissal was taken. We understand
that lessons learned from the Inquiry are being promulgated across
the Department.
25 From Improvement to Transformation, Home
Office, July 2006, paras 44-45 Back
26
Ev 20 Back
27
Qq 1, 2 Back
28
Committee of Public Accounts, Sixtieth Report of Session 2005-06,
Home Office Resource Accounts 2004-05 and follow-up on Returning
failed asylum applicants, HC 1079 Back
29
Qq 3, 4; C&AG's Report, Criminal Records Bureau: Delivering
Safer Recruitment? HC (2003-04) 266, para 2.14 Back
30
Report on progress in clearing the overseas convictions backlog,
Home Office, May 2007 Back
31
Qq 27, 28 Back
32
Report of the Inquiry into the handling by Home office officials
of notification, by other European countries, of criminal convictions
for UK citizens, Home Office, February 2007 Back
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