HC Deb 08 July 1998 vol 315 cc563-4W
6. Mr. Dalyell

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster pursuant to his oral answer of 10 June 1998,Official Report, column 1064, what assessment he has made of the benefits to United Kingdom citizens of Government use of information technology. [47924]

Dr. David Clark

Information technology is an important key in improving government services for everyone in our society. There is great potential for the Government to deliver information and services to our citizens at the time and place of their choosing and by the method that is most convenient to them.

My officials in the Central Information Technology Unit are currently conducting extensive national market research to test the public's attitude to using electronic services. The first two interim reports have been published on CITU's website. Initial findings suggest that the reaction of both the public and business to the prospect of using electronic mediums to access government services is positive: 74 per cent. of people said they would be quite likely or very likely to use new methods of service delivery.

26. Ms Rosie Winterton

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what steps he has taken to use new technology to improve communication between Government Departments. [47945]

Dr. David Clark

The Government see new technologies as an important key to the successful delivery of user-friendly Government services to the citizen and business.

Central government departments now have the potential to access the newly established Government Secure Intranet (GSI), which enables secure interconnections across a range of departmental IT systems. The GSI will facilitate a more coherent, customer-focused and integrated electronic service delivery to citizens and businesses, by providing security for information that is entrusted to the Government and by allowing unrestricted access to the Internet where required.

The GSI enables departments to communicate securely by e-mail and to benefit from access to, and the ability to receive communications over, the Internet. It will also enable the public to access the service via the Internet by using home PCs and eventually through digital television. It provides a means of linking up and promoting the increasing volume of Government services that are available electronically.