§ Mr. AllenTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the Internet electronic mail addresses of(a) his Department and (b) each Minister in his Department; and if he will make a statement on his Department's approach to the information super-highway. [17739]
§ Mr. FreemanFor security reasons, the MOD does not use Internet electronic mail widely for communication within this Department. This function is served by the Department's own secure electronic mail facility within its corporate headquarters office technology system.
Departmental Internet electronic mail addresses are not centrally co-ordinated within MOD and no list is available. However, there are estimated to be several hundred personal addresses rising to more than a thousand if the Defence Research Agency is included. There are no personal Internet electronic mail addressees for MOD Ministers.
The Department's approach to the information super-highway is that it may be used where appropriate. For example, the Department's press releases are issued electronically through the Central Office of Information and are accessible to users of Internet via Data-Star dialog (Europe) or Mead/Lexis/Nexis.