LEDS (PNC replacement)
Milestones
2016 — Home Office launches the National Law Enforcement Data Programme (NLEDP) to replace PNC + PND with LEDS
2020–2021 reset — Programme “reset”; PND is decoupled so LEDS focuses on replacing PNC only. (National Audit Office (NAO)
2023 — IPA reviews turn more positive; Home Office says “solid progress” and drops a £60m contingency “backup plan”; full service expected by 2026.
Dec 5, 2024 — Accounting Officer Assessment (AOA) confirms LEDS’ product-centric approach and the target to retire PNC by 31 Mar 2026 (when PNC support contracts end). Notable deliveries cited:
- Property cutover (first major step in decoupling from PNC)
- Person Product – Release 1 (search across most PNC person data)
- Two-way replication (create/amend/delete in LEDS synced with PNC)Adoption: 51 organisations connected via NIAM; 45 consuming all relevant products (all 43 forces + other bodies). (GOV.UK)
Sep 2025 — Home Office plans a direct award ~£37.5m to PA Consulting for the critical LEDS Person phase to stay on the March 2026 path; government tracker shows amber delivery confidence. (PublicTechnology)
Target — PNC decommission at end of March 2026, assuming Person product completion, integrations and force adoption keep pace. (GOV.UK)
PND “1.5” Transformation
milestones (separate from LEDS)
2021 — After the NLEDP reset, a distinct programme begins to stabilise and modernise PND to a 5–10-year horizon. (GOV.UK)
2022–2023 — Proof-of-concept (Feb 2022–Mar 2023) then design (to Sep 2023), producing an Integrated Implementation Plan. (GOV.UK)
Jan 18, 2024 — Home Office Investment Committee approves the Full Business Case; programme enters implementation with 15 fixed-price milestones; contract with incumbent CGI runs to Mar 2026. (GOV.UK)
Updated 2025 — AOA notes the programme is high-risk/complex, but recent IPA Gateway 3 feedback was positive on deliverability. (GOV.UK)
Risk assessment — is March 2026 realistic?
Overall: Plausible but tight. Official assessments cite high confidence yet still flag material risks. My read, based on current public evidence:
- Critical path — The LEDS Person product (largest share of transactions) is explicitly on the critical path; delays risk extending PNC. The emergency direct award to PA Consulting underscores schedule pressure. (GOV.UK)
- Adoption & integrations — All forces are connected, but final two-way operational use, peripheral system integrations, and business change must complete across dozens of agencies. (GOV.UK)
- Fixed end-date pressure — PNC support expires 31 Mar 2026; the Home Office is exploring contingency for extensions if needed. This is a schedule backstop, not a plan-A. (GOV.UK)
- Delivery confidence — Recent IPA reviews are positive; government tracker shows amber (issues exist but resolvable). Feasibility standard met, but programme remains “large, complex and high risk.” (GOV.UK)
Bottom line: If Person product engineering and nationwide adoption stay on track, March 2026 can be met. Slippage in those two areas (or resourcing/funding bumps) would likely force a short PNC extension rather than a hard stop. (GOV.UK)
Costs & budget — timeline and status
Original ambition (2016): Replace PNC+PND by 2020 at £671m (PAC/NAO history).
By Mar 2021 (NAO): Forecast for the overall capability to 2035/36 rose to ~£1.13 bn (2021-22 prices):
- Build LEDS £416m
- Run LEDS to 2035/36 £216m
- Keep PNC running to replacement £236m (≈£21m/yr)
- Keep PND running £260m (≈£13m/yr)
- 97% of increased costs ultimately recovered from policing users (MTA/top-slice). (National Audit Office (NAO))
Impairment: ~£75m impairment recognised in FY 2021/22 during the 2021 reset. (GOV.UK)
2023–2024: Programme “reset” stabilised; five LEDS products live; Home Office declares progress sufficient to drop a £60m backup.
2025 press/trackers: LEDS commonly cited as a £900m, 12-year programme to March 2026; some reporting warns total cost likely to top £1bn (consistent with NAO’s whole-life estimate). Amber confidence remains. (PublicTechnology)
Who’s building/running what (publicly evidenced)
LEDS (build/engineering – Person product & programme support): PA Consulting (direct award ~£37.5m for the critical phase, Sep 2025–Aug 2026). (PublicTechnology)
PNC (legacy operations/support to Mar 2026): Fujitsu Services – mainframe support & maintenance contract £48m (Apr 2022–Mar 2026).
PND (run & PND 1.5 transformation): CGI IT UK Ltd (incumbent since inception; fixed-price milestones to Mar 2026, with cloud migration to the Law Enforcement Cloud Platform). (GOV.UK)
Notes
LEDS ≠ PND: Today’s LEDS scope is PNC replacement. PND has its own “1.5” modernisation to 2026+; future convergence depends on a wider policing data strategy. (National Audit Office (NAO))
Contingency: Home Office has been clear it may extend PNC support if required to avoid risk to critical national infrastructure. (GOV.UK)