§ The Minister of State, Cabinet Office (Mr. Douglas Alexander)I am pleased to announce that today a new public appointments vacancies website has been launched at www.publicappts-vacs.gov.uk/. This has been developed through the joint partnership working of the Cabinet Office and the Department for Work and Pensions, and will be hosted alongside the Government's jobs and learning website at http://www.worktrain.gov.uk/
The new website provides, for the first time, a single source of information about public appointments vacancies at national, regional and local levels across England and the UK. People can search the site by area of interest, Government Department and location to identify the vacancies that are available. They can then access further information about each vacancy, including how to apply.
The Public Appointments Unit's own website is also being re-launched today at www.publicappointments.gov.uk/. This provides general information about public appointments, how to get involved, the process and the range of public bodies. For people who do not have access to the Internet, the Unit is producing a bi-annual newsletter that will include details of all the vacancies.
As the majority of today's public appointments vacancies are publicised, in accordance with the Commissioner for Public Appointments' Code of Practice, the public appointments register maintained by the PAU can no longer be considered the most effective way to meet the needs of people who wish to become involved in public life. I have therefore decided to close the register.
I believe that the changes we are making will provide greater access to information about public appointments. They also support the Government's wider objectives on diversity, putting citizens first and extending the range of services on-line.