§ Mr. AllenTo ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will make provision for(a) political parties and (b) hon. Members to place material in a specifically designated section of the World Wide Web server www.open.gov.uk in order to contribute to political debate; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. HoramThe World Wide Web server, www.open.gov.uk, provides Internet access to the CCTA Government information service. This service is intended specifically for Government information to be placed there by CCTA on behalf of Departments of State. There are no plans to extend its use to include political material from either parties or individuals. However, the Government fully support the principle of open political debate, and the CCTA Government information service has a number of collaborative open groups that are designed to encourage such discussion, through electronic mail. Details can be found at the World Wide Web address:
www.open.gov.uk/cogs/coglist.htm.