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Technology can make our public services even better, says Minister

CAB/003/09
21 January 2009

Cabinet Office Minister Tom Watson has joined the Prime Minister in recognising innovative ways technology is used to make public services more accessible and efficient.

Speaking at the annual Public Technology E-Government Awards in London Tom Watson said the awards were proof that public services are being made not only stronger but also more user-friendly than ever before.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown also praised the winners, who come from local and central government offices across the country.

The Prime Minister said:

“The E-Government Awards recognise individuals, teams and organisations who are using new technologies in innovative and creative ways to deliver better public services. I congratulate you all for your commitment, dedication and success.

“When times are tough, as they are now, it is more important than ever for government to work as smoothly and efficiently as possible. I hope you will continue to push forward with your mission to transform our public services and, with them, the lives of people up and down the country.

Cabinet Office Minister Tom Watson, said:

“More and more people are using the internet to carry out everyday tasks like banking and shopping, and they have the right to expect that the public services they rely on are available in the same way.

“The Government is committed to making our public services stronger, more efficient and more accessible than ever before, and we can only achieve this by making most of the opportunities that the digital age opens up.

“While there is still plenty more can be done, these awards show that a huge amount of fantastic, innovative work is going on across the country to ensure that the best advice, information and services are easily available in a way that fits in with busy and diverse modern lifestyles. The winners, and all the nominees, should be very proud of what they have achieved.”

Awards were given to individuals and teams who have ensured efficient and effective delivery of public services online. They included the Charity Commission’s scheme to encourage online charity returns and a programme pioneered by Hertfordshire Police that lets Officers send urgent appeals and crime alerts direct to the public.

Notes to editors

The annual awards are independent and are organised by website PublicTechnology.net with the support of KPMG.

This year’s event was held at The Guildhall in the City of London.

The Prime Minister addressed the event in a video message

The winners of each category were:

1. Building a fairer society with e-Government services   Sponsored by KPMG
   Service Birmingham Aston Pride Computers in the Home (CiTH) Project
2. Central e-Government excellence: Take-up & usage growth
   Charity Commission Online Charity Returns
3. Central e-Government excellence: Team
   DVLA Driver Validation Service rolled out to HMCS Magistrates' Courts
4. e-Government excellence: Leadership & Professionalism
   Improvement & Development Agency for Local Government (IDeA) Communities of Practice for Local Government
5. e-Government excellence: Shared Services
   Disposal Services Authority [MoD] www.edisposals.com - Delivering sustainability via resale & recycling.
6. e-Government excellence: Innovation in strategy on a national level
   Sponsored by Directgov
   NHS Connecting for Health and N3 Service Provider Community of Interest Networks - which bring the health of the nation together.
7. e-Government excellence: Innovation in strategy at a local level
   Sponsored by O2
   Hertfordshire Constabulary Online Watch Link - enabling police to send urgent appeals & crime alerts to the public.
8. Local e-Government excellence: Take-up & usage growth
   Sponsored by Jadu
   London Borough of Croydon E-Pay Cashless Schools Programme
9. Local e-Government excellence: Team
   Fife Council The Fife Child Protection Register
10. e-Government excellence in Learning & Skills
    e-Learning for Healthcare: a partnership between Department of Health, professional bodies and the NHS
11. e-Government excellence: For sustainable, 'green IT' or 'carbon-efficient services Sponsored by KPMG
    British Council Carbon-efficient IT services & technology, deployed on a global basis.

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