§ Mr. SheermanTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what use he plans to make of the Internet to make Government more open. [5098]
456W
§ Mrs. LiddellThe Treasury's Internet site (http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk) has received various commendations and awards, and has been warmly received by the public. The site offers a wide range of information and documentation, which we are committed to expanding the scope of further. Some of the information already published on the site includes all Treasury news releases, speeches, consultation documents, and Treasury occasional papers. Next week, shortly after the Chancellor finishes his statement, we shall be making the speech and the related Budget documentation available on the site. In the 1996 Budget week the site was accessed almost 400,000 times, up from 250,000 accesses in 1995. We expect even greater levels of interest next week.