Telecoms will be the key topic of discussion in the
Parliamentary IT Committee's fringe meetings at each of the three
main political party conferences.
The impact of Ofcom, the new combined independent regulatory
body embracing telecoms networks, wireless and satellite services
and commercial television and radio, will be debated by a spokesman
from each of the three parties (see box).
Not only is the political party conference season almost upon us,
but to judge from a growth of activity in preparing IT-related
policies, the run-up to the next general election is beginning to
get underway.
Issues to be discussed this autumn in Pitcom meetings, and in
closed workshop sessions run by its sister organisation Eurim,
include smartcards and privacy policy, e-crime policy, intellectual
property protection issues, the use of open source software in
government, NHS medical records and IT systems, e-skills,
modernising government and communications regulation.
What is Pitcom?
The all-party Parliamentary IT Committee (Pitcom), established in
1971, meets regularly to inform Parliamentarians of the economic
and social impact of IT. With well over 100 MPs and peers and more
than 100 corporate user and supplier members, Pitcom is related to
but separate from its sister organisation Eurim, which was
established 10 years ago.
www.pitcom.org.uk
www.kablenet.com/kbc.nsf/pitcomAbout.htm
www.eurim.org
Pitcom meetings
22 September
Brighton. Liberal Democrats. Brighton Metropole,
12.30pm. Competition or competitiveness? - the role of Ofcom.
Vincent Cable, shadow DTI secretary.
30 September
Bournemouth. Labour. Highcliff Hotel, 12.30pm.
Competition or competitiveness? - the role of Pitcom. Stephen
Timms, e-commerce minister.
7 October
Blackpool. Conservatives. Winter Gardens. Ofcom -
communications for all in the 21st Century. Tim Yeo, shadow
secretary of state, trade and industry
November
Westminster. Regime change - the need to transform
attitudes in central and local government.
