Martha Lane Fox to co-chair government panel driving public sector tech reform

Martha Lane Fox, co-founder of Lastminute.com, has been appointed co-chair of a new government panel tasked with guiding the reform of public sector services through technology.

The panel of 12 experts, which includes industry leaders and academics, will support the government in optimising technology across public services. Lane Fox will lead the group alongside Paul Willmott, chairman of the government’s central digital and data office and chief digital adviser to Lego, and Poppy Gustafsson, co-founder of cybersecurity firm Darktrace.

The initiative is part of a wider government push to modernise public services, reduce backlogs, and make services more accessible and efficient through the integration of advanced technologies. The government is working on digital transformation across Whitehall, with a particular focus on AI to enhance public services.

Feryal Clark, minister for AI and digital government, will introduce the panel at today’s Tech Summit in London, hosted by The Times. During the summit, discussions will also cover the regulation of Big Tech, with insights from Sarah Cardell and Melanie Dawes, CEOs of the Competition and Markets Authority and Ofcom.

Clark is expected to highlight the inefficiencies caused by outdated technology in public services, stating that the new panel will be instrumental in driving bold reforms. She noted the potential for technology to cut waiting times and reduce burdens on citizens and taxpayers.

Lane Fox expressed her excitement about the opportunity to help the UK deliver modern public services that support citizens and drive economic growth. Gustafsson added that government services should be as accessible as booking a taxi, emphasising the opportunity for greater technological integration.

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Martha Lane Fox to co-chair government panel driving public sector tech reform