HC Deb 18 May 2000 vol 350 cc242-3W
Mr. Maclennan

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 19 April 2000,Official Report, column 518W, on websites, if he will list the sites under his responsibility, for which a company provides a technical service, free of charge, towards creating the site, and on which the company is mentioned; and if he will (a) list the company and (b) estimate the market value of this publicity for the company in each case. [122746]

Ms Stuart

No company providing a website technical service free of charge is mentioned on the Department's websites.

For National Health Service websites, the NHS 50th site was sponsored by British Telecom, and the NHS Direct Online website currently does not advertise the site development company. Both websites are accessible to all via the internet, including the NHS. The NHS Direct Online was visited by 1.5 million people on its first day of operation. Any market value of publicity for companies mentioned on these, or the numerous other NHS websites, is not held centrally, and could not be collected except at a disproportionate cost.