§ Mrs. Anne CampbellTo ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what plans he has to provide information via Internet; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Robert G. HughesThe CCTA Government information service was launched at the consultative meeting on information super-highways on 21 November. The service is designed to help Departments to make United Kingdom Government public information available electronically via the Internet, using the world wide web—WWW—hypertext information servers.
The aims of the service are to support the objectives of the citizens charter and open government; publish Government information; and provide a means by which Government Departments can gain experience of publishing information on Internet.
The Office of Public Service and Science has been at the forefront in exploiting the service. The hon. Member can access, via Internet, information on the citizens charter unit, the open government code of practice, a directory of Government Ministers and Whips, and HMSO's information technology catalogue. CCTA, the Government Centre for Information Systems, is talking to other parts of the Cabinet Office, and further information will become available in due course.
CCTA's booklet for Internet users, "CCTA Government Information Service: How to access information", is available in the House of Commons Library.