Question
I congratulate my hon. Friend on getting a grip of this issue. I am a member of the Public Accounts Committee and, as we have heard, we have had repeated undertakings from Capita that improvements were imminent. Despite that, many of my constituents are still waiting for quotes and pension payments. The Minister has set out clearly that Cabinet Office officials are effectively taking over the delivery from Capita. Does she agree that this is a shambles and that Capita should pay for its failures?
Answer
The Cabinet Office is leaning in, but I want to be absolutely clear that Capita is still responsible for the contract and is still accountable for the delivery of any rectification plan. All options remain on the table and, as I have said, we are looking at different in-house models for this scheme, in line with our manifesto commitment to have the biggest wave of insourcing in a generation.17% vibes
Verdict: AMBER (30/100)
The reply mostly hedges. It says Capita remains responsible for the contract and accountable for a rectification plan, which implicitly acknowledges delivery problems, but it never says whether the minister agrees the situation is a 'shambles'. On consequences, it does not address payment, financial redress or penalties for Capita, and 'all options remain on the table' is non-committal. A member of the public would likely need to ask again for a clear position on both points.
How we got there
| Question item | Coverage | Specificity | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
| Does the Minister agree that the delivery problems with Capita's pension service amount to a shambles? | Partially Addressed | Hedged | The reply refers to Capita's continuing responsibility and accountability for delivery and a rectification plan, which implicitly acknowledges delivery problems, but it never says whether the minister agrees the situation is a 'shambles'. The remaining statements concern the Cabinet Office's stance and insourcing and do not engage with that characterisation. |
| Does the Minister agree that Capita should pay for its failures? | Partially Addressed | Hedged | The statements that Capita remains responsible for the contract and accountable for the rectification plan come close to the point that Capita should bear the consequences of its failures. However, the reply never explicitly addresses payment, financial redress, or penalties, and 'all options remain on the table' is non-committal. |