Government sites 'failing public'

A report has highlighted the shortcomings of several government websites. The National Audit Office's Government on the internet report said that although there are government sites that have made progress with the amount of information made available online, the quality of many sites has not improved since 2002. One major criticism is that many of the sites are text-heavy, meaning that many surfers find them unappealing. Navigational difficulties and large tracts of irrelevant information were other problems cited in the report. "Departments need to focus on understanding the cost effectiveness of their websites and who uses them and why, so that they can better meet the needs of citizens," said Sir John Bourn, head of the National Audit Office. The government is aiming to radically overhaul its online offerings, creating two 'supersites' – Directgov and businesslink.gov.uk. The National Audit Office praised this initiative but warned that it "needs to be carefully managed and kept under regular review". Some £208m is spent on government websites each year. www.nao.org.uk www.direct.gov.uk www.businesslink.gov.uk

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