HC Deb 06 March 1995 vol 256 cc58-9W
Mr. Allen

To ask the President of the Board of Trade which Ministers are responsible in each Department for co-ordinating the Government's approach to the information super-highway;

(2) which Minister is the overall co-ordinator for developing the Government's policy and approach to the information super-highway.

Mr. Ian Taylor

As the Minister with responsibility for telecommunications and technology, I represented the United Kingdom at the recent G7 conference on the information society, and am playing a leading role in co-ordinating the development of Government's policy on information super-highways. I have set up a multimedia industry advisory committee which brings together industry experts, and specialists in health and education technologies, with the aim of assessing the policy implications of the development of multimedia and the opportunities for multimedia applications and communications. Ministers throughout Government are working together to help the UK make the best possible use of information super-highways and multimedia applications, and I am in close consultation with them. For example, my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary, Office of Public Service and Science and my noble Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for National Heritage are both Members of the MMIAC.

I mentioned these matters in evidence to the Trade and Industry Select Committee on 25 January 1995.