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PRIME MINISTER Report from the e-Minister and acting e-Envoy - 2nd April 2001 Introduction This is our fifth monthly report on progress against the UK Online strategy, as set out in the UK online annual report published on 11 September. The strategy details how we are driving forward the programme of change to get individuals, businesses and Government online. As usual, this report is structured around the five key priorities identified in the UK online strategy: modern markets, confident people, successful businesses, getting government online, and world class supply. A more detailed progress report on every one of the commitments in the UK Online annual report is being published on our website at www.e-envoy.gov.uk This report shows that of the 94 commitments announced, 73 are on track, 12 completed, and 9 are behind schedule. Modern MarketsOn 15 March OFTEL published detailed proposals for a new Telecoms Ombudsman with powers to resolve disputes between consumers and telecoms companies. The Telecoms Ombudsman will provide an important new layer of consumer protection and is based on other successful industry Ombudsman schemes. Under the proposals, the new Ombudsman would: -encourage companies and consumers to resolve their dispute as quickly as possible; - resolve disputes up to the value of £5,000 when the consumer has been unable to reach agreement with their phone company; - award compensation on a case-by-case basis; and - be as accessible as possible in order
to meet the wide range of On 2 March The Advisory Committees on Telecommunications (ACTs) re-launched their website (http://www.acts.org.uk). The new-look site is now more clearly structured, easier to navigate and designed to be as accessible as possible to all consumers. It allows consumers to access information about ACT activities, including responses to OFTEL public consultations. The four country ACTs, established under the Telecommunications Act 1984, represent the interests of telecoms consumers users in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. There are two ACTs that represent small businesses and disabled and older people in the UK. Together they provide advice to David Edmonds, the Director General of Telecommunications. Confident People At a meeting of EU Ministers in Lule, Sweden on 15 February, Tessa Jowell called for the setting up of an EU-wide Skills and Mobility Task Force looking at skills shortages, especially in the IT industry. She said the Skills Task Force should be a small dynamic core of business leaders, government representatives and academics meeting to examine the problem of skills shortages in Europe – an estimated 1.7 millions vacancies in the IT sector by 2003. Some key points highlighted - by 2004, 70% of the EU's workforce will be internet users according to the International Labour Organisations, compared to 28% at the end of 1999;- the European Commission expects e-commerce in Europe to grow from $17 billion at the end of 1999 to about $360 billion by 2003; - by 2006, 90% of new jobs in the UK will require basic IT and keyboard skills. On 8 March David Blunkett launched over 1,200 UK online centres giving the public access to computers and the Internet. David also announced plans to equip and open a further 1,050 UK online centres. A national TV campaign to attract people into UK online centres began on 28 February 2001 and a freephone hotline (08080 100 400) has been set up for information about local centres. The centres aim to attract people who may feel technology is not for them, such as people with basic skills needs, lone parents, people over 60, those with disabilities, people from minority ethnic groups and unemployed people. In the second phase of UK online centres, 250 successful applicants will get money for equipment from the Capital Modernisation Fund (CMF), and the New Opportunities Fund will cover their running costs. DfEE has also set up a £5 million fund to support small, community-based CMF funded UK online centres. On 16th March Michael Wills announced the second phase pilots of the Wired up Communities programme, an initiative aimed at improving Internet access in some of the poorest estates and most isolated communities in the country by installing computers in homes and schools. These pilots will cover 12,000 homes in 6 communities across England, including East Manchester, Framlingham in Suffolk and Alston in Cumbria. An earlier pilot programme was launched in Kensington in Liverpool in February and aims to have provided 2,000 homes with a computer by the summer. On 19 March, consumer research conducted by UK online in early March, showing levels of internet access and usage, was published. Results show that nationally 59% of men and 47% of women have accessed the internet. On 1 April the national hi-tech crime unit begins work. £25 million is available over the next three years to implement the national high tech crime strategy, which aims to combat use of the Internet for criminal activity.Successful Businesses. On 19 March Patricia announced a three-part £70 million Government investment into electronic technologies to keep the UK at the forefront of the high tech revolution. Part of the £70 million package includes £30 million for transforming business practices using technology, to move from trading online towards transforming Getting Government onlineOn 10 March the Daily Express ran a major 8 page feature highlighting the growth of UK online. This included an article by you setting out the vision and benefits behind the initiative, articles by-lined to Government Ministers, in-depth features on a range of UK online products and services, and case studies of organisations and individuals that have benefited from using the Internet through UK online centres. Copies of the supplement have also been distributed to current UK online centres through DfEE. The UK online campaign has continued with Ministerial visits, supported by interviews, advertorial and competitions in the relevant regional media to raise public awareness of what is available in each area. The profile of ukonline.gov.uk has been further heightened by online and offline advertising, and the placing of articles in regional and specialist press. We have completed the round of public
consultations on e-Government Interoperability Framework version
2 and a final draft is being prepared for approval by Ian McCartney.
We are on target to publish this in April as promised in version
1. Government Gateway. The first stage of the Government Gateway is now complete, on time, on scope and on budget, giving the UK the most advanced e-government infrastructure anywhere in the world. Registration, enrolment and transaction handling are now fully operational. Transactions from IR, HMCE and MAFF will begin to arrive at the Gateway in line with departmental filing periods over the next two to three weeks. Work is also continuing to identify the next set of transactions from existing departments and other Government organisations, as well as any common functionality that can be added to the Gateway to increase economies of scale. Work has started with departments on developing the second iteration of their e-business strategies A series of workshops was organised for departmental champions, giving them an opportunity to explore alternative strategic scenarios and approaches to the greater integration of services. A further workshop for departmental strategists will be held at the end of April, to address the issues of joining-up, customer groupings, common obstacles to progress, and to develop assessment of the next round of strategies. A team of account managers within the Office of the e-Envoy will be working closely with their opposite numbers in departments to support their work on strategy delivery. Local Government On 2 February DETR published the paper Delivery of Local Government Online, which received a very positive response by local authorities in England. DETR received over 140 expressions of interest from individual local authorities or consortia wishing to be considered for electronic service delivery pathfinder status. These projects involved over 220 local authorities and many private sector partners. Following an evaluation process involving OeE, HMT, LGA, IdeA and SOCITM as well as DETR, Hilary Armstrong announced the 25 successful bids on 22 March.Other Government Developments. Other recent Government developments include the following: On 26 February Graham Stringer joined Judge Barry Woodward, the senior judge at Manchester Crown Court in Minshull Street, to back the trial of an innovative internet-based pilot scheme. The Electronic Plea and Directions Hearing Scheme will allow prosecution and defence barristers to submit details to Manchester Crown Court electronically through a secure internet site, instead of using written submissions, and will involve cases handled by the Stockport team of Manchester Crown Prosecution Service. Backing for the scheme comes as the Government have recently launched Criminal Justice: The Way Ahead, a long-term strategy to reform the Criminal Justice System to tackle offenders more effectively, bring them to court, reduce reoffending and better support victims of crime. On 27 February
David Blunkett announced £58 million in new funding to boost childcare
provision and nursery education, and to break down the barriers
that prevent many childcare workers getting training and employment.
This new funding comes on top of the £113.5 million already committed
to Early Years Development and Childcare Partnerships for training
and will make a real difference to the quality and provision of
childcare and early years education. He also announced new partnerships
with Tesco and Lloyds Pharmacy to provide childcare information
in their stores direct to parents with online kiosks. The new cash
boost comprises: On 28 February Dawn Primarolo welcomed the launch of the Inland Revenue’s Internet service that will allow employers and their agents or payroll bureaux, to send PAYE end of year returns and a range of other PAYE forms over the Internet. The Internet Service for PAYE is accessible through their Website www.inlandrevenue.gov.uk and links to the Government Gateway, the centralised registration service for electronic transactions with Government. From around 9 April, registered users will be able to send the following PAYE End-of-Year return forms over the Internet: P35 - Employer's Annual return; P14 - Individual Employee's End-of-Year Summary; and P38A - Employer's Supplementary Statement. The service will be extended to include other PAYE forms and returns in later months. Commenting on the launch, Dawn said: "This latest innovation the Inland Revenue's commitment to providing e-services for its customers. The user- friendly technology which lies behind the Internet service for PAYE is making a real contribution towards the success of e-government in the UK." All employers that use the Internet service to send in their 2000-2001 PAYE end of year returns and make at least one electronic payment of tax for 2000-2001 will qualify for a one-off discount of £50. Employers who qualify for the PAYE discount, and also paid tax credits through their payroll in 2000-2001, will qualify for a further discount of £50. The PAYE and tax credit discounts will also be available to those employers who use an agent, payroll bureau, or other intermediary, to send their 2000-2001 end of year return over the Internet. On 8 March David Blunkett launched a major DfEE website - www.worktrain.gov.uk - giving instant online access to 800,000 job and training opportunities across Britain. The worktrain website, one of the most advanced websites of its kind in the world, will also be available at UK online centres for jobseekers to access information about jobs, careers and learning information. It was developed by the DfEE, the Employment Service, Ufi and the FI Group. It is designed to be easy to use, even for those who haven’t used the Internet before. It shows how joining up Government services using ICT can deliver real value to the citizen. On 12 March David Blunkett announced a £35 million technology package to help schools cut bureaucracy. Schools across England will get access to the latest technology to help them cut hours of form filling by storing and sharing information on their pupils electronically. The £35 million package of new money is additional to the increases for education announced in the Budget. This new money will enable systems and equipment to be purchased for management and administration. Training will be provided and software installed to introduce a seamless system. Crucially the collection of statistics and other data will be rationalised and the amount of paperwork handled by heads and teachers reduced and an estimated 5 days of work a year will be saved The website of the Office of the e-Envoy provides a regularly updated report on Government services that are available online. World Class Supply The announcement on 19 March of a three-part
£70 million Government investment into electronic technologies.
Included in the package is a £20 million investment in the next
wave technologies programme aimed at bringing computing power to
everyday items, such as washing machines that read clothes care
labels and home diagnostic devices which help patients communicate
with GPs remotely; and £20 million for a national computing grid
for UK scientists, helping scientists to exploit the vast amounts
of data available such as human genome research. The additional
funding is aimed
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