The biggest individual areas of investment include tens of millions dedicated to improving platforms related to the UK’s regime of waste laws, as well as delivering reform of water regulation
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has revealed plans to spend almost half a billion pound on using digital technology to improve citizen services.
In a recently published set of Treasury minutes – the regular publication through which government formally responds to recommendations made by the Public Accounts Committee – Defra updates MPs on various issues related to environmental regulation. The committee’s primary conclusion was that “we are not convinced that Defra and the regulators can fulfil their existing, wide-ranging responsibilities effectively while delivering ambitious reforms”.
To help address these challenges, PAC recommended that “Defra should ensure that its regulators are receiving the investment in digital they need to modernise”.
In its response, the department assured MPs that it has already implemented this recommendation, and that it “continues to invest in its wider digital technology to provide excellent customer services, deliver savings and efficiencies in its operations and keep core IT services operational and secure”.
These investments include £860m being spent during the 2026/7 year on tech and related services – of which “approximately £460m is earmarked for digital transformation to provide excellent customer-centric services”, according to Defra.
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This near-half-a-billion-pound outlay includes a number of significant investments in the tools and services of the regulatory agencies that sit within the Defra Group.
MPs are advised that £55.1m is being spent “to continue to deliver transformation across the regulation of the waste packaging and recycling sectors”, while a further £39.7m will enable Defra “to invest in digital services to deliver water reform”.
Additionally, some £15.8m will be used this year “to begin the delivery of a joined-up planning consultation service encompassing all regulatory bodies involved in the service”, and £5.2 is being committed to create “a new digital service for the Nature Restoration Fund”.
The two biggest regulator’s in the department’s scope – arm’s-length bodies the Environment Agency and Natural England – will receive £8.4m “for investment in other digital services to support regulatory activities”.
As part of wider public-sector efforts to reform and modernise the planning system, Defra advised PAC that some of the focus areas where investments will be targeted include “building modern aligned casework management systems cross-group… building a common data model cross-group to facilitate joined-up working, geospatial mapping capability and data alignment, [and] online guidance and a single front door”.
The department’s response added: “Digital work will also consider ALB operating models. Re-use of common components will be utilised wherever possible to create efficiencies and streamline services.”
