IT environment for e-Government success is in place, says Porter
Christopher Porter, Cabinet Office Director of the e-economy, told UKTECH he believed a suitable environment for IT contractors was in place and would not affect Government IT targets at the Brighton TMA conference.
Mr Porter, who works closely with Andrew Pinder, the e-Envoy, said: "A flexible, skilled IT workforce is very important to see [an e-Government] happen and succeed and I think an environment under which IT contractors can operate efficiently is already in place."
Mr Porter's speech focussed on his office's commitment to getting all Government services online, on target.
He said: "The Government's vision is a partnership between Government, industry, the voluntary sector, trade unions, consumer groups and leading the knowledge economy."
"The role of the e-Envoy in achieving this will be to galvanise UK businesses, develop and review strategic thinking, promote the UK through e-commerce, co-ordinate e-Government strategy and ensure e-inclusion.
"A forthcoming report will show that the UK leads the rest of the world in businesses trading online as a percentage, with the US, Canada, Germany and Sweden all trailing behind us. We need to build an e-business friendly environment, bridge the digital divide and transform Government. We will do this through the use of an effective 'light-touch' regulatory regime as well as by updating existing regulation, which challenges us as policy makers.
"Currently we have 42 per cent of all Government services online. We will have 73 per cent by 2002 and 99 per cent by 2005. Transactional and joined-up services will be the hardest of these to accomplish.
The e-economy Director also spoke about the forthcoming Anti-Terrorism Act, the importance of increasing access to broadband throughout the country and the digital divide.
Mr Porter said: "We have been working with updating legislation following the September 11 attacks in the US, particularly with data retention. There have been a lot of damaging stories in the press recently over this, but the retention of data will be a voluntary code of practice to ensure agencies know what data is likely to be held. It will be conducted in close consultation with industry under a theme of 'co-working.'
"Regarding the digital divide, the Chancellor has put significant investment into 6,000 'UKOnline' centres which will be set up by 2002. So far there are almost 1,400 currently in operation. UKOnline will also mean that all 4,300 public libraries are online by 2002. UKOnline for Business will mean one million SMEs trading online by 2002.
"We are also working to provide the Government Portal and Gateway projects, which are world leading products and will provide a single route into any Government system. The Government has been monopolistic for ever, becoming wholesalers is quite a big step for the Government to take and we're trying to achieve that."
Earlier this year, Andrew Pinder, the e-Envoy, called the Prime Minister's same targets for a full electronic service by 2005 "unhelpful" in a speech to international IT industry leaders at Microsoft's Digital Britain Summit.
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Richard Powell, UKTECH