§ Ms. GordonTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how the specifications concerning the throughput on the Government data network in terms of packets per second or Baud rate, have been calculated in the absence of centrally held information concerning the annual rate of inter and intra-departmental data transfer at the Department of Health and Social Security, the Inland Revenue, the Home Department and Her Majesty's Customs and Excise.
§ Mr. BrookeThe four Departments each provided information on their potential use of the Government data network. This has allowed prospective suppliers to determine the shape and capacity of the network design each has proposed. This information had not previously been held centrally.
The four Departments' current requirements for GDN as set out in the statement of service requirement do not involve any data transfers between them. There is thus no information on such data to hold centrally.