Press releases

News from the OeE and resources for the media

e-Envoy sleeps rough for NCH's byte night 2003

16 September 2003 - Andrew Pinder, the Government’s e-Envoy, will take part in a sponsored sleep-out with over 200 members of the IT community on Friday 19th September. The annual event, which takes place at Finsbury Square, London, will raise money for children’s charity NCH to help prevent youth homelessness.

New Draft Smart Card Policy Framework Published by Office of the e-Envoy

31 July 2003 - The Office of the e-Envoy today published Smart Cards: Enabling e-Government. The document, which has a three month consultation period, introduces a draft policy framework to aid public organisations deliver successful smart card schemes.

Cabinet Office awards data centre hosting project contract

28 July 2003 - The Cabinet Office today announced that ITNET has been awarded the Data Centre Hosting Project contract. The company will be responsible for providing a fully resilient, cost-effective and secure managed service for three infrastructure building blocks.

Douglas Alexander launches Quality Framework for UK Goverment

24 July 2003 - A framework designed to make government websites easier to use has been published by the Douglas Alexander, Minister for the Cabinet Office, after extensive consultation with the public, private and voluntary sectors.

Ivan Lewis gets online with the Royal National Institute for the Deaf

10 July 2003 - Ivan Lewis, Minister for Adult Skills and Vocational Education at the Department for Education and Skills, today visited the RNID’s Head Office to meet members of its Employment Learning and Skills Service. The visit is part of the Government’s UK online Get Started campaign which is encouraging those that have never used the internet before, to try it out.

Geoff Hoon brings national Internet Campaign to Ashfield

27 June 2003 - Geoff Hoon, Secretary of State for Defence, today visited the UK online centre at Ashfield College, Sutton in Ashfield as part of a major new internet campaign aimed at getting more people online. The Government’s UK online Get Started campaign offers free internet starter sessions in UK online centres across the country and aims to encourage those that have never used the internet before, to give it a go. Whilst at the college the Secretary of State met local people who have recently experienced the internet for the first time, some of whom have great stories to tell.

The Magic of Harry Potter with UK online

25 June 2003 - By visiting their nearest UK online centre Muggles(*) without home internet access can still watch the JK Rowling webcast of her reading from Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix at the Royal Albert Hall tomorrow (courtesy of BT Broadband and MSN at http://www.msn.co.uk/harrypotter).

Intermediaries - Creating a mixed economy in public services

29 May 2003 - Delivering choice and a better experience is a huge challenge and there is no reason to assume that government acting alone will have the best approach. Our strategy, therefore, is: to create a mixed economy in the supply of e-government services. We aim to create a marketplace where government and organisations from the private and voluntary sectors can come together to deliver e-government services that better meet the demands of our customers.

Minister visits Prince's Trust volunteers programme

28 May 2003 - Stephen Timms, e-commerce Minister at the Department for Trade and Industry, today visited Erith Library in Bexley to see how young people on the Prince's Trust Volunteer Programme are using the internet to improve their future employment prospects. The visit comes in the third week of the Government's UK online Get Started campaign which aims to encourage those that have never used the internet before, to get online.

Ian McCartney launches 'A'-sites for the Blind

23 May 2003 - Cabinet Minister Ian McCartney today launched a new web portal designed specifically for visually impaired people with Coronation Street actress Suranne Jones. The launch comes during the second week of the Government's UK online Get Started campaign, and Granada's IT's for Life campaign, both of which aim to encourage those that have never used the internet to give it a go.

The Greatest Ever Technology Giveaway

13 May 2003 - Secretary of State for Trade and Industry Patricia Hewitt, e-Envoy Andrew Pinder and Chief Executives from across the private and voluntary sectors today 'clicked off' the greatest ever technology give-away to encourage people to use the internet and experience the benefits of going online. Over 8000 online centres will now be offering free internet starter sessions until the end of June.

Drive to encourage new internet users unveiled

10 March 2003 - The Office of the e-Envoy unveils a major campaign to encourage new users to try out the Internet. The initiative will aim to raise awareness of the benefits that the Internet can offer to all and break down the barriers that people face to getting online.

www.ukonline.gov.uk and www.e-envoy.gov.uk - website traffic figures

The Office of the e-Envoy has published statistics on website traffic for both www.ukonline.gov.uk and www.e-envoy.gov.uk. These will be available on a month-by-month basis on the e-Envoy website.

Government security programme agreement

31 January 2003 - Cabinet Office announced that Andrew Pinder has signed the Government Security Programme agreement with Microsoft, in his role as Central Sponsor for Information Assurance.

Press Releases Archive

Press Releases from previous years are available in the Press Release Archive.