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CABINET OFFICE
IT Initiatives
Mr. Alexander: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what plans she has to extend the initiatives based on the use of IT to improve public services set up by her Department to other parts of the country. [101915]
Mr. Ian McCartney: The Government are committed to ensuring that the benefits of new technology are shared by the many not just the few. As a result we are working to extend our vision of Information Age Government, as set out in the "Modernising Government" White Paper, in close co-operation with the Devolved Administrations as well as local government.
Earlier this year we invited the Scottish Executive, the National Assembly for Wales, the Northern Ireland Central IT Unit and the Local Government Association to nominate representatives to act as their Information Age Government Champions (IAGC). This is the Group charged with driving forward our Information Age Government agenda across the public sector.
We have also established a new body, the Central Local Information Age Forum, which includes representatives from central and local government from across the whole of the United Kingdom. The Forum, which met for the first time in November, will encourage innovation and co-operation between central and local service providers and help to drive up technology standards.
External Consultants
Mr. Don Foster:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much his Department's agencies and non-departmental public bodies have spent on external consultants and advisers since May 1997. [102098]
13 Dec 1999 : Column: 91W
Dr. Reid:
Expenditure by Executive Agencies of the Scottish Office since May 1997 is estimated as follows:
| £ million | |
|---|---|
| 1997-98 | 0.7 |
| 1998-99 | 0.7 |
| 1999-2000 | 0.4 |
13 Dec 1999 : Column: 92W