Committees

Emergency Services Network

Inquiry

The Home Office’s Emergency Services Network (ESN) programme was launched in 2015 to replace Airwave, the critical mobile network for emergency services such as police, fire and rescue, and ambulance to communicate with each other.

In 2019, following significant delays, the Home Office reset the programme to introduce the new technology incrementally, extending the timetable for turning off Airwave from 2020 to 2022.

In 2021, the Competition and Markets Authority opened an investigation into the communication services provided by the Airwave network.

Based on the NAO investigation into the Emergency Services Network the Committee will question senior Home Office officials on current progress and the main risks the programme faces now.

If you have evidence on these issues please submit it here by 23:59 on Thursday 20 April 2023.

Please have a look at the requirements for written evidence submissions and note the Committee cannot accept as evidence material that has been published elsewhere. 

This inquiry is no longer accepting evidence

The deadline for submissions was Thursday 20 April 2023.

Upcoming events

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Past events

Wednesday 26 April 2023
9:30am Private
10:00am Public
Emergency Services Network - Oral evidence 26 April 2023
10:00am
  • Simon Rickets (Independent Technical Assurance Panel at Home Office)
  • Ben Norman (Deputy Chief Fire Officer at Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service)
  • Chris Lucas (Senior User at NHS Ambulance Radio Programme)
  • Kier Pritchard (Chief Constable ESN at National Police Chiefs Council)
The Grimond Room, Portcullis House
Monday 27 March 2023
3:30pm Private
4:00pm Public
Emergency Services Network - Oral evidence 27 March 2023
4:00pm
  • Sir Matthew Rycroft KCMG CBE (Permanent Secretary at Home Office)
  • David Kuenssberg (Director General of Corporate Delivery at Home Office)
  • Dr John Black (Programme Director at Home Office)
  • Simon Parr QPM (SRO for ESN at Home Office)
The Grimond Room, Portcullis House

Contact us

  • Email: pubaccom@parliament.uk
  • Phone: 020 7219 5776 (general enquiries) | 020 7219 8480 (media enquiries)
  • Address: Public Accounts Committee, House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA