The government has placed IT at the heart of its efforts
to modernise public services and to make the UK a competitive
global economy. It has defined five main targets.
- The promotion of online services in central and local
government to meet the December 2005 deadline. This has primarily
been the role of the outgoing e-envoy's office, but the
responsibility, power and impetus will be shared.
The responsibility for all government websites will lie with the
newly appointed head of e-government, who will oversee the various
chief information officers within lead government
departments.
However, the financial responsibility is likely to be driven by the
Treasury through the Office of Government Commerce, and the
interaction with the services provided through local government
will be driven by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.
- The drive to have joined-up government in the back office, in
which central government needs greater efficiencies, with
departments able to communicate more quickly and effectively with
each other.
The head of e-government based in the Cabinet Office will have a
lead role working with the Office of Government Commerce to ensure
suppliers work with lead government departments on cross-Whitehall
delivery.
- Promoting the use of IT in UK business, especially small
business. Responsibility for the adoption of IT and e-commerce has
largely been an area for the Department of Trade and
Industry.
This will remain with the DTI, though the Treasury will retain
control of tax breaks to encourage IT investment and
innovation.
- Evangelising IT usage and literacy among the UKpopulation,
through the adoption of broadband services. This has been a role
for the Department for Education and Skills, particularly in the
promotion of e-skills, but concerns remain that not enough is being
done. Many specialists feel that Gordon Brown, the chancellor,
missed an opportunity in this year's Budget.
Although the chancellor highlighted the importance of IT investment
to the UK economy and announced enhanced tax incentives for
research and development, there were no measures to boost IT
training and career development.
There have already been calls for the government to exempt
employees and employers from paying income tax and national
insurance contributions on full-time IT training.
The government has also been urged to widen the focus of its
national skills strategy to cover more advanced IT skills. There is
a need for more people with NVQ3 and NVQ4 skills with the
capability to install computer systems based on software packages
and eventually help to deliver e-government modernisation.
- Promoting the UK IT industry itself. The DTI is charged with
this role and trade ministers regularly promote UK-based IT
companies on overseas trips. However, hopes within the supplier
community that an e-minister would champion its cause have dimmed
as the OGC has focused on value for money from suppliers and Brown
has failed to deliver hoped for tax breaks.