HC Deb 04 March 2002 vol 381 cc79-80W
Mr. Don Foster

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what progress has been made towards meeting his pledge that all central Government should be contactable electronically by 2005; which(a) Ministers and (b) members of the Cabinet are contactable by the public via e-mail; and if he will make a statement. [38163]

Mr. Leslie

The latest figures on progress towards the target of making Government services available electronically by 2005 show that over 50 per cent. of Government services are e-enabled now. In addition, Departments predict that three-quarters of services will be e-enabled by the end of 2002.

Statistic 1997 1998 Change
Education (Bristol Local Education Authority)
Percentage of 15-year-olds gaining 5+A*-C GCSE/GNVQ1 32.1 per cent. 29 per cent. -3.1 percentage points
Percentage of pupils gaining level 4 plus at Key Stage 2 (11-year-olds) English2 54 per cent. 55 per cent. 1 percentage point
Percentage of pupils gaining level 4 plus at Key Stage 2 (11-year-olds) mathematics3 52 per cent. 47 per cent. -5 percentage points
Infants in class sizes of more than 304 3,708 (January) 3,770 (January) 62 pupil increase
Funding per pupil (in real terms)5 £2,700 £2,750 £50 real terms increase
Welfare to Work (Bristol Unitary Authority)
Number of adults in employment6 171,000 (May) 182,000 (May) 11,000 (6.4 per cent.)
Percentage of working age people in employment7 68.9 per cent. (May) 72 per cent. (May) 3.1 percentage points
Claimant count unemployed8 13,269 (May) 9,851 (May) -3,418 (-25.8 per cent.)
Youth unemployment (18–24 claimant count)9 3,033 (May) 2,303 (May) -730 (-24.1 per cent.)
Health (Avon Health Authority)
Number of doctors10 2,169 2,326 157 (7.2 per cent.)
Qualified nurses11 8,260 (September 1997) 6,679 (September 1998) -581 (-7 per cent.)
Inpatient waiting lists12 23,104 (March 1997)
Outpatients seen within 13 weeks13 Robust data not available 76 per cent. (June 1998)
1,2,3,4DfES published statistics (taken from DFES Internet site)
5DfES held statistics obtained through policy officials for use in ministerial briefing
6,7.8,9NOMIS database (Office for National Statistics)
10DoH statistic obtained through policy officials for use in ministerial briefing
11,12,13DoH statistics from Avon health authority briefing

Statistic 1998 Latest
Education (Bristol Local Education Authority)
Percentage of 15-year-olds gaining 5+A*-C GCSE/GNVQ1 29 per cent. 31.8 percent. (2001)
Percentage of pupils gaining level 4 plus at Key Stage 2 (11-year-olds) English2 55 per cent. 65.5 percent. (2001)
Percentage of pupils gaining level 4 plus at Key Stage 2 (11-year-olds) mathematics3 47 per cent. 61.6 per cent. (2001)
Infants in class sizes of more than 304 3.770 (January) Zero (September 2001)
Funding per pupil (in real terms)5 £2,750 £3,290 (2001—provisional)
Welfare to work (Bristol Unitary Authority)
Number of adults in employment6 182,000 (May) 205,000 (November 2001)
Percentage of working age people in employment7 72 per cent. (May) 78.2 per cent. (November 2001)
Claimant count unemployed8 9,851 (May) 6,266 (December 2001)
Youth unemployment (18–24 claimant count)9 2,303 (May) 1,502 (December 2001)
Health (Avon Health Authority)
Number of doctors10 2,326 2,508(2001)
Qualified nurses11 7,679 (September) 7,569 (September 2000)
Inpatient waiting lists12 21,492 (September 2001)
Outpatients seen within 13 weeks13 76 per cent. (June) 80 per cent. (September 2001)
1,2,3,4DfES published statistics (taken from DFES Internet site)
5DfES held statistics obtained through policy officials for use in ministerial briefing
6,7,8,9Publicly available through NOMIS database—(Office for National Statistics)
10DoH statistic obtained through policy officials for use in ministerial briefing
11,12,13DoH statistics from Avon Health Authority briefing (available through the Government Knowledge Network)

The Guidelines for UK Government websites encourage individual departmental websites to list Ministers and their responsibilities, and to publish contact addresses, that is, a full postal address as well as an e-mail address.