Online communication
46. Growth in the use and popularity of the internet
over the past few years has opened up opportunities for the Government
to supply information directly to the public in a cost-effective
manner. We recognise the considerable progress the Government
has made in harnessing the potential of online communication to
improve and increase communications directly with the public.
As one way of achieving better communication of information to
the public, the Phillis Review advocated one central Government
website "within which the output of the various different
departments and agencies can be found."[40]
47. The Government accepted this recommendation
and launched the Directgov website (www.directgov.uk).
This website was designed to provide a single point of access
to public sector information and services. It contains information
from 18 different Government departments and is structured from
the point of view of users. Users therefore do not need to know
the structure of government in order to find the information they
want (p 125).
Conclusion
48. Sir Robert told us that members of the
Review were pleased with the Government's "very speedy response"
to their recommendations (Q 21). We, too, welcome and acknowledge
the aspects of the Phillis Review that have been properly and
fully implemented. Nevertheless, Sir Robert told us there
were areas of his report "where perhaps all that we had hoped
for has not been achieved" (Q 22). The purpose of the
rest of this report, therefore, is to consider in what areas there
is still need for improvement.
36 Known, legally, as the Statistics Board. Back
37
Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007. Back
38
Phillis Review, p.23. Back
39
Ibid., p.4. Back
40
Ibid., p.26. Back
