§ The Earl of Northeskasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether recent reports suggesting that the budget of the Office of the e-Envoy is to be reduced by nearly 20 per cent in the coming year are accurate; and, if so, what are the implications of this for their e-government and e-commerce strategies. [HL2446]
§ The Minister for the Cabinet Office and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (Lord Macdonald of Tradeston)As part of a Cabinet Office-wide budget review, the Office of the e-Envoy budget has been reduced on a level with the other Cabinet Office delivery and reform teams, returning the office to a similar level of budget and posts that it had before the specific increased amounts of the past two years.
The Office of the e-Envoy will continue to play a central role in driving our e-government programme, and is responsible for delivering the Cabinet Office Public Service Agreement target for electronic service delivery: 100 per cent capability by 2005, with key services achieving high levels of use.
The OeE will also continue to co-ordinate the UK's drive to maintain our position as one of the world's leading e-commerce environments.
§ The Earl of Northeskasked Her Majesty's Government:
How they respond to the suggestion from the Institute of Public Policy Research that their target of placing all government services online by 2005 should be scrapped because it comprises efforts aimed at improving delivery of services on a case by case basis. [HL2447]
§ Lord Macdonald of TradestonWe agree with the IPPR that blanket e-enablement of services would not by itself deliver public value. That is why our target to make all central government services available electronically by 2005—which has successfully galvanised much activity across government to offer citizens and businesses online services—was enhanced in the 2002 spending review to include achieving high levels of use for key services.
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§ The Earl of Northeskasked Her Majesty's Government:
What methodology is in place to measure the levels of take-up of e-government services by the general public; what levels have been achieved to date; and what plans are in place to encourage further take-up. [HL2448]
§ Lord Macdonald of TradestonTake up of e-government services is measured by the Office for National Statistics via the Internet access module of its Omnibus Survey. In October 2002, 16 per cent of adult internet users reported they had used e-government services.
To encourage further take-up, the Office of the e-Envoy is working with departments to develop strategies for driving take up of key online services.