§ Barbara FollettTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what plans he has to pay grant to (a) provide e-voting pilots and (b) help local authorities achieve the vision of e-Government set out in their implementing electronic Government statements. [47163]
§ Mr. RaynsfordAs part of the package of funding previously announced under the £350 million Local Government On-Line (LGOL) Programme, I have today laid before the House a Special Grant Report 975W containing powers for my Department to Pay £4.1 million of grant to provide 15 e-voting pilots, £200,000 to each local authority that has submitted a satisfactory Implementing Electronic Government (IEG) Statement (to support the work set out in that Statement), and a further £200,000 to authorities that submit a satisfactory updated IEG and that demonstrate they have used the first £200,000 to good effect.
The Report will also enable £50,000 of grant to be paid to fund the dissemination of best practice from the e-government pathfinders, and allow the 24 LGOL funded e-government pathfinders to continue, where necessary, past 31 March 2002 in order to complete their pioneering work.