The vast majority of an estimated £45bn-plus in annual public sector savings from “full potential digitisation” would come from automating routine tasks, a Department for Science, Innovation and Technology minister has said.
Baroness Maggie Jones’ observations came in a written response to a request for further detail on the £45bn figure, which was included in January’s State of Digital Government Review.
When the review was launched, technology secretary Peter Kyle described the £45bn figure as a "jackpot for the public sector if we get technology adoption right” and “not an opportunity we can let pass us by".
This week, Jones – who is minister for the future digital economy and online safety – answered a question from former Cabinet Office minister Lord Theodore Agnew, who sought a breakdown of the £45bn cited in the report.
She said the figure was an estimate, based on a detailed, bottom‐up analysis employing three levers: automating routine tasks, migrating services online and reducing fraud via digital compliance.
Jones said automating routine tasks accounted for £36bn of the figure; migrating services online £4bn; and reducing fraud by digital compliance £10bn.
“This work scaled bespoke analysis conducted on the civil service to the wider public sector, with overlaying case studies," she said.
“A sizable proportion of these benefits is expected to be cashable, although exact figures vary by domain and profession. Achieving these efficiencies will require substantial, bespoke investment, and we are working to ascertain that in the largest opportunity areas.”
Jones said that more detailed methodology would be published online “in due course”.
The State of Digital Government Review formed the backdrop to a blitz of technology announcements from DSIT, including a shift of focus at the Government Digital Service.
Kyle also announced plans to bring more tech roles in-house and previewed a new suite of artificial intelligence products for civil servants to be named “Humphrey”.