HL Deb 19 November 2001 vol 628 c122WA
Baroness Ludford

asked the Chairman of Committees:

What assessment he has made of the Parliamentary website in terms of (a) content, (b) design, (c) accessibility, and (d) commitment to open government; and what comparison, if any, he has made with the websites of other legislatures, particularly the website of the European Parliament. [HL1234]

The Chairman of Committees (Lord Tordoff)

In response to concerns about the design of the Parliamentary website, the House of Lords and the House of Commons set up a joint project to commission a new design in 2000. The contract to prepare the new design was subsequently awarded to EPIC Group plc, who have examined parliamentary websites in Europe, the Commonwealth and the United States of America. The redesigned website is currently under construction, and is expected to be ready in spring 2002. It will deliver substantial improvements in all the areas identified by the noble Baroness.