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Awards recognise best of public sector technology

23/01/2008

At the time of writing Gillian Merron was a Cabinet Office Minister. She is now Parliamentary Under–Secretary of State for International Development at the Department for International Development.

Cabinet Office minister Gillian Merron has highlighted the role played by technology in making public services more efficient and accessible.

The minister for Transformational Government was speaking at the annual e–Government National Awards in London.

In a video address to the ceremony, Prime Minister Gordon Brown also praised the “initiative, drive and commitment” of the local and central government workers who are using technology to improve public services.

The Prime Minister said:

“The growing use of information technology is an important factor in people’s rising aspirations – and these aspirations don’t get left behind when they use public services.

“Today’s citizens are quite rightly demanding more and technology has the capacity to provide it, breaking new ground and helping to achieve new goals.

“I commend you all for your initiative, your drive and your commitment to providing the public with the very best.”

The awards recognise the best in technology-driven services that have positively transformed the lives of members of the public.

Winners ranged from Brighton & Hove City Council’s talking bus stops for the visually impaired to the Vehicle & Operator Services Agency’s MOT computerisation scheme.

Gillian Merron, who presented the awards with the Government’s Chief Information Officer John Suffolk, said:

“Technology is bringing an ever-increasing range of benefits to the public; it has the potential to re–shape public services and, at the centre of this, change people’s lives for the better.

“Government has a key role to play to ensure services fit around diverse needs and lifestyles – it’s about making sure that people in this country can access services how they want them and when they want them.

“We can only achieve this with the right attitude and the right people, we recognise the fantastic work being carried out across the public sector, and these awards are an ideal opportunity to reward those who are both leading and delivering best practice.”

You can view the Prime Minister’s full video address online at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SptaE_pDhaE [External website]

The annual awards are completely independent and are organised by website PublicTechnology.net [External website].