Question
My constituents will welcome the robust tone of the Minister’s statement, but what difference will this make for constituents such as John Carroll from Annan, who worked at Dumfries prison and who has been waiting since February to hear anything meaningful from Capita? What difference will it make to the likelihood of a response?
Answer
I believe that Cabinet Office officials are now working in lockstep with Capita to ensure that it delivers against the new rectification plan, which was recommended by the remedial adviser. As I have said, we will be able to see on a fortnightly basis how Capita is doing in bringing down the case numbers, and that should give some indication of the service recovery level. If it is not up to scratch—we will know whether that is the case in the coming weeks—I will of course update the House on any further action that we can take to improve the service.
Verdict: AMBER (45/100)
The reply sets out concrete steps: a new rectification plan recommended by the remedial adviser, officials working with Capita on delivery, and fortnightly monitoring of case numbers. It does not say what these steps mean for the constituent, Mr Carroll, or whether his wait for a substantive response will end. Its closing line that the outcome will be known 'in the coming weeks' leaves the central question open, so the constituent would likely need to follow up for a firm timescale or outcome.
How we got there
| Question item | Coverage | Specificity | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
| What difference the Minister's statement will make for constituents such as John Carroll from Annan, who has been waiting since February for a meaningful response from Capita. | Partially Addressed | Direct | The reply names concrete mechanisms (a new rectification plan recommended by the remedial adviser, officials working with Capita on delivery, and fortnightly monitoring of case numbers), but it never explains what these would mean for constituents such as Mr Carroll or whether his wait for a meaningful response would end. |
| What difference the statement will make to the likelihood of Mr Carroll, and constituents in his position, receiving a response from Capita. | Partially Addressed | Direct | The reply describes the monitoring and recovery mechanisms that bear on whether Capita will clear its case backlog, which is the route to a response. It stops short of stating how these change the likelihood for Mr Carroll, and its closing line that 'we will know ... in the coming weeks' leaves the outcome open. |