§ Mr. BerryTo ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how the Government will be improving its e-Government Metadata Standard to ensure that the websites of(a) Government departments and (b) agencies and non-departmental public bodies are exemplars of accessibility. [177021]
§ Mr. AlexanderThe e-Government Metadata Standard (e-GMS) provides information about the technical aspects of accessibility of a web page. It is reviewed and updated on an annual basis through consultation with a wide range of government departments, other public bodies, academics, the private sector and the UK public itself.
e-GMS is mandatory for new public sector IT systems and the number of sites meeting the standard will therefore improve as sites are replaced or upgraded.
The Cabinet Office encourages compliance through the provision of guidance and good practice. Compliance to the guidelines and standards is the responsibility of the individual departments.