§ Mr. HammondTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the cost of the redesign and re-launch of her Department's website. [52309]
§ Ms HewittThe redesign of the site was part of the ongoing process of making it easier for users to find the information they require. The contract for the redesign was let by tender, and six companies were invited to tender, in accordance with normal departmental rules. The winning company were judged to offer the best value for money for the job. As I informed the hon. Member for Buckingham (Mr. Bercow) on 10 April 2002,Official Report, column 393W, the cost was £60,294 including VAT.
We are currently undertaking customer research to as ertain the success of the redesign. We will be talking to the three main audience groups, businesses, consumers and employees, to ensure that the site continues to meet their needs.