Correspondence

HC Deb 13 July 1998 vol 316 c45W

Mr. Ian Bruce

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what plans her Department has to correspond electronically with(a) hon. Members and (b) members of the public. [49884]

Mrs. Beckett

The core Department has had facilities in place for some time to allow all staff to correspond electronically with any individual or organisation able to exchange E-mail via public networks such as the internet. The Department's Agencies have, or plan to have, similar facilities.

E-mail addresses are included in the Department's letterhead and, additionally, will be published for key contacts. The Department is also connected to the Government Secure Intranet and able to correspond electronically with an increasing number of public sector organisations via that network.

In line with the Government's target that: 25% of Government transactions should be capable of being handled electronically by 2002", we have active programmes of our own aimed at ensuring these facilities are used to best effect, and we are also involved in central initiatives to develop and extend the concept of 'Joined-Up' Government for wider business benefit.

Mr. Ian Bruce

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is the e-mail address of her Department's Ministerial Correspondence Unit. [49885]

Mrs. Beckett

My Department does not have a central Ministerial Correspondence Unit. Each Minister's Private Office handles its own correspondence. The relevant e-mail addresses are:

• [e-mail]
• [e-mail]
• [e-mail]
• [e-mail]
• [e-mail]
• [e-mail]
• [e-mail]