HC Deb 25 March 2004 vol 419 cc1072-4W
Mr. Heald

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the total annual cost of his Department's websites, including those of its agencies, was in the most recent year for which figures are available. [159519]

Mr. Hutton

Department of Health (www.doh.gov.uk and www.dh.gov.uk)The cost of the Department's website is shown in the table.

The figures include hosting and maintenance, development and dedicated staff costs (using agreed Civil Service staff costs including salaries, common services etc.)

Financial Year Total cost £000
2002–03 1,844.0
2003–04 2,799.8

The Department launched a new website on 16 February 2004. It is available at www.dh.gov.uk. The old website was migrated onto `DotP', the central government content management platform. DotP has been developed in partnership with, and is hosted by, the Office of the e-Envoy. The full cost of this major project is included incosts above, the majority of which will not be incurred in subsequent years.

NHS Pension Agency (www.nhspa.gov.uk)

All website development and maintenance work is covered under a single outsourcing contract with Envision and includes all information technology provision. No separate costs are kept on website specific work.

The NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency (www.pasa.nhs.uk)

The NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency hosts and supports in-house two websites, www.pasa.nhs.uk, www.pasa.nhs.uk and an intranet site. The cost shown in the table covers all three sites. Separate figures are not available. These figures include hosting, maintenance, development and dedicated staff costs. Staffing costs are based on gross salary, but exclude employer's on-costs (National Insurance and superannuation).

Financial Year Total cost £000
2003–04 172.5

The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency—Medicines (www.medicines.mhra.gov.uk)

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) medicines arm is unable to isolate the cost of its website from its overall information technology costs.

The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency—Devices (www.devices.mhra.gov.uk)

The costs shown for the MHRA Devices website is for last complete financial year. Costs for the currant year are expected to be very similar. They include hosting and maintenance, development and staffing costs based on agreed Civil Service staff costs (including salaries, common services etc.).

Financial Year Total cost £000
2002–03 85.5

NHS Estates (www.nhsestates.gov.uk)

The costs shown for the NHS Estates website are for last complete financial year. Accurate data for this financial year is not yet available.

Financial Year Total cost £000
2002–03 267.1

The Department is responsible funding a number of other websites, such as NHS Direct Online and NHS Careers Website. For information on the cost of hosting, development and maintaining these sites, I refer the hon. Member to the response given to the hon. Member for Truro and St Austell (Mr Taylor) on Friday 12 March 2004, Official Report, column 1828W.