Actually the news that the Scottish government with Logica was running new tests on e-counting technology in advance of next year's local government elections was reported by ScotlandIS, but the  Scottish & Southern Energy contract awarded to Logica for the provision of communication, data and prepayment services for residential smart meter system trials in Great Britain is there, as is the June launch of the UK Police National Data Base developed in partnership with the police service being launched.

Scottish Government and Logica carried out a 160,000 ballot ‘dummy run’ in preparation for the Local Government elections in 2012. A robust test of the innovative eCounting technology was carried out by The Scottish Government and Logica.

Taking place in Perth, the trial involved the counting of 160,000 test ballots and was watched over by  (right) Scottish Government Minister for Local Government and Planning, Aileen Campbell who notes, “This is the third stage of the rigorous testing of the e-counting system ahead of the 2012 local government election

Martin Ewart, MD, Logica in Scotland said: “Come the Local Government elections next year the new system will need the capacity to scan millions of ballot papers in 32 count centres around Scotland, electronically count the votes and deliver the results to the Returning Officers.  Compared to a manual count which would take at least two to three days, eCounting will be much faster and more transparent.”

“This test is a crucial milestone in the project to make eCounting a reality in 2012. Logica is also providing programme management, training services, printing services and over 40 project managers and count centre managers in the run up to the election to ensure it goes smoothly.”

Logica was awarded the contract in October 2010 and worked closely with the Scottish Government and Londonderry HQ partner, Opt2vote  to test the system over the last eight months. It is claimed to offer greater transparency through better displays of information as the count progresses and has been subjected to rigorous testing to protect against the failures and to ensure confidence for the voter, parties and candidates and all those interested in the election.

Logica's part in smart metering
Scottish & Southern Energy (SSE)  will procure, install and maintain the smart metering systems on behalf of its customers, with Logica will deliver the communications, data and pre-payment support on behalf of SSE.

Through its Smart Data Services and award winning Instant Energy product Logica supports over 85%  of smart meters installed in people’s homes across Britain and supported the installation of over 25,000 new smart meters per month. The agreement with SSE will further increase this figure, strengthening Logica’s position in the British smart metering market.

Craig Boundy, UK CEO, Logica, explains; “Smart Meters don’t just empower consumers to change their relationship with energy, they are integral to the creation of smart grids, creating a vital infrastructure that will enable Britain to satisfy our energy needs more sustainably, whilst helping to keep energy affordable.

"This contract will enhance SSE’s ability to effectively engage with its customers about their energy consumption by using the two-way communication capabilities provided by smart meters and also helps Logica to consolidate our position at the heart of Britain’s smart energy market.”
 

The Police National Database
June saw the launch of the Police National Database (PND) that allows forces to share and access locally held intelligence and information, enabling them to see the full intelligence picture immediately, identify patterns of criminal behaviour much earlier, and take action more quickly.



The PND fulfils the primary recommendation of Lord Michael Bichard’s inquiry into the failings in police intelligence sharing which led to the Soham murders in 2002. Lord Bichard urged that a national IT system to support police intelligence sharing in England and Wales should be introduced as a matter of urgency.  It links together 150 computer systems with intelligence from all 43 police forces in England and Wales, as well as various other policing organisations such as the Serious and Organised Crime Agency (SOCA). The total cost of the project is estimated at £75m.

The PND replaces a basic interim system brought in shortly after he reported. 

NPIA chief executive Nick Gargan said: “We know that child abusers, drug dealers and terrorists don’t respect force boundaries, but in many cases forces have been conducting their investigations in isolation, unable to see everything the police service knows about a suspect and unable to make fully informed decisions. The PND pulls together all that local knowledge and allows investigators to see the full intelligence picture. As a result, they can react far more quickly and effectively when it comes to protecting the public.



“Until now this information had to be shared manually, a fallible and sometimes bureaucratic process dependent on the right staff being able to access and share the relevant files, which could take up to two weeks. Enabling the police to identify offenders like Ian Huntley earlier means we stand a much better chance of preventing others like him slipping through the net again.



“Many people will be surprised to know that the police service has not had this capability for many years – the good news is that they have it now.” 



In partnership with the police service and technology and service company Logica, and funded by the Home Office, the NPIA started implementation of the PND on time, and the programme will be completed well under budget. 

Over the last few months the NPIA has been rolling out the national system to police forces and law enforcement agencies across the UK.

Iit is already producing some important results:

• A known northern-based organised crime group, involved in firearms offences, kidnapping and extortion, were found to be operating in the south of the country. This new intelligence is being used by the operation team to monitor offending patterns and assist arrests;
• An AWOL soldier, wanted in connection with an alleged theft, was found to be involved with a notorious, violent group of football supporters. This intelligence is now being used to support an arrest and produce a Football Banning Order; and
•   A serious and organised drugs offender operating across a number of northern police forces. 


The national system is also playing a valuable role in safeguarding children and vulnerable adults. In one case, information was revealed that an alleged child sex offender is currently living with a new partner and her child, whilst in another example a force was able to respond immediately to new information about a domestic violence victim. 



The PND is the most secure national police system developed to date, and only authorised and vetted users will have access to the system. Special access controls ensure that users only have access to information that they require for their particular policing roles and there are extensive auditing systems in place to deter misuse.