HC Deb 09 March 1999 vol 327 cc97-9W
Mr. Don Foster

To ask the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will list the expenditure incurred by his Department, agencies and non-departmental public bodies on(a) the setting up and (b) the operation of websites, indicating the cases in which the expenditure has been above that budgeted; and if he will list for each web site (i) the topics covered, (ii) the current average number of hits per month and (iii) the estimated expenditure on each web site for each of the next three years. [70968]

11. Mr. Hoon

[holding answer 15 February 1999]: The information sought regarding the websites of my Department, agencies and non-departmental bodies is listed. In no case was expenditure above budgeting.

Websites

The Lord Chancellor's Department

  1. (a) Set up costs: £7,368
  2. (b) Operation costs: £16,200
  3. (c) Topics covered: What's New?, Press Notices, The Department, LCD Research, The Courts, Judges-QCs, Magistrates, Speeches, Consultation Papers, Access to Justice, Legal Aid, Civil Matters, Individual and Family Matters, Criminal Matters, Statute Law Database, Related Sites, and Complaints Procedures.
  4. (d) Average number of hits per month: 10,000
  5. (e) The estimated expenditure on the website for each of the next three years includes the appointment of a full-time web manager.
    1. (i) 2000–2001: £45,000
    2. (ii) 2001–2002: £45,000
    3. (iii) 2002–2003: £45,000

The Court Service

  1. (a) Set up costs: £18,542
  2. (b) Operating costs: £15,404
  3. (c) Topics covered: Court of Appeal and High Court judgments, Practice Directions, Daily Lists and Notices; Supreme Court Taxing Office; Crown Court Daily Lists and Warned Lists; county court contact details; court forms and information leaflets, the Court Service IT strategy, annual report and the Courts' Charter; the Office of Social Security and Child Support Commissioners and the Immigration Appellate Authority and links to the Lord Chancellor's website and to various other related sites.
  4. (d) Average number of hits per month: 50,377
  5. (e) The estimated expenditure on the website for each of the next three years:
    1. (i) 2000–2001: £18,000
    2. (ii) 2001–2002: £18,000
    3. (iii) 2002–2003: £18,000

The Northern Ireland Court Service

  1. (a) Set up costs: nil
  2. (b) Operating costs: nil. The NICS maintains a number of pages on the Northern Ireland Civil Service website.
    3. 98
  3. (c) Topics covered: Courts Charter and complaints procedures.
  4. (d) Average number of hits per month: not monitored by NICS.
  5. (e) The estimated expenditure on the website for each of the next three years:
    1. (i) 2000–2001: unknown at this stage
    2. (ii) 2001–2002: unknown at this stage
    3. (iii) 2002–2003: unknown at this stage

The Public Trust Office

  1. (a) Set up costs: £2,500
  2. (b) Operating costs: £2,000
  3. (c) Topics covered: introduction to the PTO; the work of its Divisions; and details of the complaints procedure.
  4. (d) Average number of hits per month: Not currently monitored. The PTO monitors the number of e-mails received.
  5. (e) The estimated expenditure on the website for each of the next three years:
    1. (i) 2000–2001: £5,000
    2. (ii) 2001–2002 and 2002–2003: With a view to Better Government targets, the website is to be developed further. Consideration will be given to the provision of forms for downloading and possible inter-active completion. Costs associated with this project will probably be in excess of £100,000.

The Public Record Office

  1. (a) Set up costs: nil
  2. (b) Operating costs: £14,250 (1998–99)
  3. (c) Topics covered: the public records, the services provided by the PRO and Family Records Centre, the operation of the public records system, the PRO contribution to the National Grid for Learning and information for records managers, conservators and the archives profession.
  4. (d) Average number of hits per month: 135,000
  5. (e) The estimated expenditure on the website for each of the next three years:
    1. (i) 2000–2001: £17,000
    2. (ii) 2001–2002: £22,000
    3. (iii) 2002–2003: £30,000

Her Majesty's Land Registry

  1. (a) Set up costs: £1,000
  2. (b) Operating costs: £8,675 (1998)
  3. (c) Topics covered: About the Land Registry; Exhibitions and events; How to complain; Press Notices; Areas served by the Land Registry; Direct Access Service; Fees calculators; On-line publications including Annual Report and Accounts; Business Plan; information leaflets; District Land Registries; Year 2000 Compliance Reports; Residential Property Price Reports; Guide to Land Registry services; Feedback facility
  4. (d) Average number of hits per month: 30,000
  5. (e) The estimated expenditure on the website for each of the next three years:
    1. (i) 2000–2001: £15,152
    2. (ii) 2001–2002: £15,152
    3. (iii) 2002–2003: £15,152

The Law Commission

  1. (a) Set up costs: £2,400
  2. (b) Operating costs: £10,675
  3. (c) Topics covered: a library containing the full texts of publications since March 1997; background information on the organisation and work of the Law Commission; details of current recruitment campaigns.
  4. (d) Average number of hits per month: 1,400
    5. 99
  5. (e) The estimated expenditure on the website for each of the next three years:
    1. (i) 2000–2001: £9,900
    2. (ii) 2001–2002: £9,900
    3. (iii) 2002–2003: £9,900

The Lord Chancellor's Advisory Committee on Legal Education and Conduct (ACLEC)

  1. (a) Set up costs: £673
  2. (b) Operating cots: £75
  3. (c) Topics covered: Membership of the Committee and its members' biographies; the work of the Committee; Sub-Committees and Working Groups; and the Committee's publications.
  4. (d) Average number of hits per month: 480
  5. (e) The estimated expenditure on the website for each of the next three years: It is likely that ACLEC will be disestablished and the Committee is working on the premise that this will happen before the end of 1999. The Committee therefore has no plans to incur further expenditure on its website.

The Judicial Studies Board

  1. (a) Set up costs: £925
  2. (b) Operating costs: nil to date
  3. (c) Topics covered: the structure and work of the JSB and its committees, the JSB Annual Report, Specimen Directions, training materials available to the public.
  4. (d) Average number of hits per month: 450
  5. (e) The estimated expenditure on me website for each of the next three years:
    1. (i) 2000–2001: £2,180
    2. (ii) 2001–2002: £180
    3. (iii) 2002–2003: £180

The Magistrates' Court Service Inspectorate

  1. (a)Set up costs: £7,000.
  2. (b) Operating costs: due to go 'live' in the summer.
  3. (c) Topics to be covered: What's New?, MCSI executive summary reports; thematics, MCSI's remit; operational plan and strategic plan; organisational chart; pen pictures of inspectors; publications order form; and related sites.
  4. (d) Average number of hits per month: nil.
  5. (e) The estimated expenditure on the website for each of the next three years:
    1. (i) 2000–2001: £5,490
    2. (ii) 2001–2002: £4,590
    3. (iii) 2002–2003: £4,590

The Civil Justice Council

  1. (a) Set up costs: £1,116
  2. (b) Operating costs: £1,175 (1998–99)
  3. (c) Topics covered: the background of the Council, the membership of the Council and its Sub-Committees, and summary reports of Council and Sub-Committee meetings.
  4. (d) Average number of hits per month: Not monitored.
  5. (e) The estimated expenditure on the website for each of the next three years:
    1. (i)2000–2001: £1,175
    2. (ii) 2001–2002: £1,175
    3. (iii) 2002–2003: £1,175.