EU info group probes UK.gov IT strategy

Issues call for evidence

Posted in Government, 12th July 2007 12:28 GMT

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A parliamentary organisation is planning an inquiry into the Transformational Government strategy.

The European Information Society Group (Eurim) will formally launch the exercise on 18 July, with a call for evidence and plans to hold three hearings in October and November, after the publication of the next round of Comprehensive Spending Reviews.

Margaret Moran MP, the chair of the organisation, told GC News the inquiry is aimed at raising awareness of Transformational Government among MPs and influencing future policy.

"We hope it can link the policy strands and free up resources to deal with complex issues," she said. "We want to clear out the easy online services and focus on the people who really need them."

Eurim's secretary general Philip Virgo said the process will cover three strands with individual hearings on each: social inclusion, ensuring that online services reach people who reach people without internet access; shared services, extending to partnerships with groups such as non-governmental organisations and community enterprises; and democratisation of delivery, taking in the techniques developed in online social networking.

"We think we've gone for the three areas that are most difficult," he said. "They've been picked in consultation with ministers and officials."

Among the figures due to give evidence are Sir David Varney, government chief information officer John Suffolk, and chief executive of the Royal Society for Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures, and Commerce Matthew Taylor.

Virgo said Eurim may ultimately publish a report from the inquiry, but that it is more concerned that it influences the thinking of MPs and feeds into the policy making process.

The organisation is receiving submissions to the process at dialogues@eurim.org.

This article was originally published at Kablenet.

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