§ Mr. MaclennanTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will list the expenditure incurred by his Department, agencies and non-departmental public bodies on(a) the setting up and (b) the operation of websites, indicating the cases in which the expenditure has been above that budgeted; and if he will list for each website (i) the topics that have been covered, (ii) the current average number of hits per month and (iii) the estimated expenditure on each website for each of the next three years. [116202]
§ Mr. Chris SmithThe Department's new websitewww.culture.gov.uk was launched on 28 February.
It is designed to meet customer requirements—allowing new and regular visitors to discover more about the cultural assets of this country and the role of the Department within Government. It is a portal site which guides the browser through an array of governmental, public body and other cultural and sporting sites. The Department's news releases, publications, consultation papers and extensive contact information are all available on the site.
The site cost £80,000 to redevelop. This included costs for:
- tendering the work;
- site redesign and development;
- the introduction of a text only version of the site to help users with visual disabilities;
- the introduction of a search engine; and
- the incorporation of a previously separate lottery site which allows browsers to have access to information about every lottery award made since the introduction of the National Lottery.
The cost of the site redevelopment was met from the Department's 1999–2000 publicity budget—which was within budget for the year.
The operation of the site was within the budgeted £40,000.
392WThe new site averages 34,000 hits per day, or just under 1,000 visitors per day.
Expenditure in future years to maintain the site is as given above. There are no current plans for further redevelopment of the site.
Information on the costs of non-departmental public body sites could be provided only at disproportionate cost.