Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, With reference to the Fifty-first Report of the Committee of Public Accounts of Session 2022-23 on Tackling Defra’s ageing digital services, HC 737, published on 10 May 2023, how much of the £366 million allocated to his Department to (a) address legacy IT issues and (b) bring systems up to the necessary standard has been spent.
Answer
The £366 million figure referred to in the National Audit Office report covered a specific set of activities within Defra's overall 2021 Spending Review digital investment. At least £149.3 million has been spent on these activities as of 31 December 2023, alongside other digital investment.