[LINK] UK government to create 'super websites'

[Ivan Trundle]

This appeared on Kable's website tonight:
http://www.kablenet.com/


Government to create 'super websites'
10 January 2007

[Whitehall is to shut down 551 websites to make access to information  
easier for citizens and businesses, the minister for Transformational  
Government has said]

Launching the delayed Transformational Government annual report 2006,  
Pat McFadden said over half of central government websites will face  
closure over the next year.

Ninety of the 551 websites have already been closed. Agreed dates for  
the remaining are expected to be released shortly.

Relevant information from the closed websites will be transferred to  
the governments 'super websites', Directgov and Business Link.

The closure of the sites is expected to save the Treasury £9m over  
three years.

Out of the total of 951 central government websites, 26 are "certain"  
to be retained, says the report. A further 374 of the 951 will be  
reviewed for possible closure by June 2007.

McFadden said on 10 January 2007: "This report demonstrates how  
millions of people are benefiting from our use of technology every day.

"We are dealing decisively with the proliferation of government  
websites - getting rid of more than 500 - and we are ensuring that  
the quality of our services will not be affected by these changes."

Prior to McFadden's speech at the Transformational Government II  
conference, organised by Kable, a Cabinet Office spokesperson told GC  
News: "The Cabinet Office alone has made an annual saving of £174,000  
by closing all of its websites apart from its corporate website.

"As for non-finance benefits for citizens they are immeasurable.  
People do not want to surf the net for information; they want to find  
it as quickly as possible. Our ultimate aim to to close 95% of  
Whitehall's websites."

Directgov, launched in 2004, receives over 5m visits a month. It  
currently involves 18 government departments and has links to  
services in nearly all 388 councils in England.


Source: Kable's Government Computing
Publication date: 10/01/2007


--
Ivan Trundle
http://itrundle.com ivan at itrundle.com
ph: +61 (0)418 244 259 fx: +61 (0)2 6286 8742
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