The prime minister has confirmed the government's ambitions to make many services available only online and to open access to data
In a speech to mark the publication of the Putting the Frontline First: smarter government paper, Gordon Brown said that moving services and data online was part of "the third generation of changes" to public services.
"Our aim is - within the next five years - to shift the great majority of our large transactional services to become online only”
Over the next year, the government will say how it plans to move transactions online as soon as it can, starting with student loans, jobseekers' allowance, working tax credits and child benefit. In 2011, VAT and employer tax returns will move exclusively online. Mr Brown said this could save £400m as a first step and billions further on.
On online information, the prime minister said: "Every citizen will from next year have access to all information on the performance of our public services showing how, and in great detail, hospitals schools and all our public services perform in your own neighbourhood.
"We will give our frontline services greater freedoms and flexibilities to respond innovatively to this data, reducing the number of ring fenced budgets, rationalising different central funding projects and joining up capital funding within a local area," he added.
More resources will also be switched from back office functions to the front line of public sector workers, as outlined in the Frontline First paper, and emphasised the role of technology in making services more responsive to users' needs.
"Information is the key. An informed citizen is a powerful citizen," he said, adding that more public sector datasets could be opened for general access, including those within local authorities, the NHS, police and education.
"And these must all have the opportunity for feedback and interaction, for that is where power lies for the citizen," added Brown, mentioning NHS Choices as an example of allowing patients to review and rate services.
To help citizens get online, the government will put another £30m into the UK Online programme, to get another 1m people online by 2012.
Links
Frontline First Website
Frontline First Paper
Smarter Government Speech by Gordon Brown
Government Digital Engagement Blog
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