failed update process - unable to find desktop package

[owise1]

doing a normal update which failed and a suggestion to do partial upgrade offered and on running it fails due to been unable to find desktop package and directs me to make bug report. This occurred following removal of the old meltdown kernel 108

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 16.04
Package: ubuntu-release-upgrader-core 1:16.04.23
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 4.4.0-112.135-generic 4.4.98
Uname: Linux 4.4.0-112-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.20.1-0ubuntu2.15
Architecture: amd64
CrashDB: ubuntu
CurrentDesktop: Unity
Date: Fri Feb 16 10:43:02 2018
InstallationDate: Installed on 2017-01-03 (408 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 16.04 LTS "Xenial Xerus" - Release amd64 (20160420.1)
PackageArchitecture: all
SourcePackage: ubuntu-release-upgrader
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
VarLogDistupgradeTermlog:

[owise1 (o-wise-1)]

not a fresh install - next update following purge of kernel 108