18 January 2006

Local council websites are even easier to access thanks to the launch of a new local Directgov programme.

The initiative means that web browsers visiting the central public sector online portal, Directgov, can click directly through to whatever local authority they need.

For instance, if a visitor wanted to pay their council tax, they can use the portal to locate their local authority and direct them to the relevant pages on their local council's website.

Local e-government minister, Jim Fitzpatrick, said he hopes this new initiative will help more people actively use the online local council resources, such as paying taxes or rent or finding local amenities and information.

"It will prove an invaluable aid to local authorities, helping them to meet efficiency targets, increasing traffic to local authority websites and encouraging citizen take-up of those online services.

"When fully developed, it has the potential to revolutionise how citizens interact with government, offering a more customer focused, joined up approach."

Local authorities were set government targets to become fully e-enabled by the end of last year. The focus has now shifted to boosting public up-take given that the majority of services are accessible online.

© Adfero Ltd

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