§ Dr. CableTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the website links associated with his Department, including sites now dormant or closed, and indicating whether they are live, dormant or closed; what the start up costs were for each site listed; what the operating costs were in each year since start up for each site; which company hosted each site; what assessment takes place for each site; which company does the assessment; if he will place the assessment reports in the Library; and if he will make a statement. [75591]
§ Mr. MacShaneThe FCO has recently implemented a major web infrastructure project to enhance our global web presence. This has been achieved using funds from the Treasury Capital Modernisation Fund for e-Government initiatives. The objectives of the project are: to promote the UK more effectively to an overseas audience; to save running costs for UK missions' websites; to avoid duplication of effort; to provide a more customer-focused approach and improve service delivery of visas, passports and consular services; to join up on-line information offered by our public diplomacy partners (British Council, Trade Partners UK, Invest UK, British Tourist Authority and BBC World Service).
In January 2001 Logica plc won a competitive tender to provide a new web platform for hosting and running UK missions' websites world-wide and allowing future electronic submission of passports and visa applications. The following are on the platform already:
www.fco.gov.uk Main FCO site
www.ukvisas.gov.uk Joint FCO-Home Office site for visas
www.i-uk.com 'Britain Abroad' portal site (to launch 28 October 2002)
In addition over 100 UK missions world-wide currently run their own websites. These are linked from the FCO main site.
The total cost of developing and implementing the infrastructure and the first year of support has cost 6.6 million. We estimate substantial future staff and business efficiency savings from this new infrastructure. The web platform is hosted in-house and uses our global telephony network. Operating costs for e-Media Unit in the FCO are 269,000 pa, excluding staff.
The above sites were built following extensive market research and consumer surveys. A 'balanced scorecard' approach is taken to site assessment and benefits measurement. A company called 'Flow Interactive' has recently undertaken usability testing of the FCO main site with members of the public.