CABINET OFFICE News
Release (CAB038/09) issued by COI News Distribution Service on 14
May 2009
Minister for
Digital Engagement Tom Watson today told the Cabinet Office's
Tower '09 conference that it was crucial for the government
to embrace digital technology in order to keep delivering the best
public services.
The Minister was among the high-profile speakers at the second
annual public sector reform event, which also saw the launch of
the Transformational Government Annual Report.
Tom Watson MP said:
"This Government has achieved so much by using technology to
drive the reform of public services, with increased effciency and
more freedom for people to shape services around their lives
rather than government convenience. We have already achieved £26.5
billion of efficiency savings - and will save a further £35
billion by 2011.
"For that reform to continue we have to learn from each
other and come up with exciting and innovative ways to transform
the way we deliver services in this country. Our priority is to
make sure public services are high-quality, accessible and robust
enough to meet increasing demand in this economic downturn."
The minister said driving forward public sector reform would help
Britain emerge from the global downturn faster and stronger and
would lay the foundations for a more prosperous future.
The Transformational Government Annual Report, published today,
highlights the innovative work already being carried out across
government to improve public services.
Savings including £50 million at the Department for Work and
Pensions, with a total of £100million expected by the end of
2008/09 - all key to helping the country through the economic downturn.
The report also showed that millions of people are already
accessing services every day. Around 13 million motorists renewed
their car tax online, 10 people a second filed their tax returns
on the internet, 2.7 million driving tests were booked online and
more than 15 million people visited Directgov.gov uk every month
for help and guidance.
The Health Service now handles over 300 million consultations
every year and the Department for Work and Pensions delivers £121
billion of payments each year to over 190 countries.
Held at the Tower Hotel in East London, this year's
conference brought together 350 public sector officials including
senior managers and frontline staff to discuss public sector
engagement and public service reform.
It focused on how the government can use digital technology to
even greater effect in the design and delivery of public services,
how best to engage with people and businesses and how to encourage
innovation across government.
Speakers included Richard Allan, Government Affairs Director,
Europe, Cisco and Chair of the Power of Information Taskforce,
Steph Gray, Head of Digital Engagement at the Department for
Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS), Lord Davies of
Abersoch the Minister for Trade and Investment, Andrew Summers,
Chairman of Companies House and Chris Wormald, Director of Public
Service Reform at the Cabinet Office.
There were also workshops run by Tata Consultancy Services, Wipro
Technologies and the Digital Policy Team from the Central Office
of Information (COI)
Notes to editors
* A transcript of the minister's speech will be posted
shortly at http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk
* The Minister was speaking at Tower 09 - 'Putting Citizens
and Businesses in Control' which was held at the Tower Guoman
Hotel in London.
* The event was hosted by the Cabinet Office in conjunction with
Intellect, the trade association for the UK technology industry
and was sponsored by Tata Consultancy Services and Wipro Technologies.
* The Transformational Government Annual Report covers the period
from January 2008 to December 2008. The initial Transformational
Government Strategy was published in 2005 and this is the third
progress report to be published by the Cabinet Office.
* The full report is available for download from: http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/cio/transformational_gov/annual_report2008.aspx
Cabinet Office Press Office 22 Whitehall LONDON SW1A 2WH
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