Election 2005: Time for MPs to get behind tech

27 Apr 2005 13:58

The IT and communications lobby group EURIM is urging MPs from all parties to take a more cohesive approach to technology

At the end of March the European Information Society Group (EURIM) launched its election manifesto points, aimed at MPs from all parties. EURIM brings together MPs, Peers and MEPs from all parties as well as key players in the UK communications, e-commerce and IT sectors to promote these industries' concerns to the Government.

Underlying the manifesto is the assumption that "Internet and e-government issues are now mainstream". The manifesto states that, with over half of UK voters now using the Internet, "they expect policies that address their concerns, expectations and priorities from jobs for themselves and their children; through law and order to the improved delivery of public services such as health and education. Those policies need to be based on what is already happening around us as well as on what can realistically be delivered."

The manifesto contains 10 headline "action plans". These are set out below:

The vision for 2010: providing local access to world-class communications to avoid the danger of communities without access dropping out of the world economy.
E-crime: bringing law enforcement into the Internet age.
A location of choice: making the UK attractive for Information Age Business.
"Joined up Government": providing citizens with access to Government and public services when and where they need them.
Skills: enabling students (of any age, including those in work) to acquire and maintain the IT skills they need. The manifesto contains a number of detailed proposals on training and how to fund it.
Public services: ensuring better practice in the transformation of public services, specifically through the way major public sector IT projects are handled.
The voluntary sector: valuing, respecting and harnessing the motivations of the "third sector".

E-crime and law enforcement
The manifesto asserts that "More criminals now use computers than use crowbars. Half of all theft and fraud involves computers and mobile phones. E-Crime is no longer 'special'. It has to be addressed within mainstream policing."

The manifesto urges a move away from "narrow agendas driven by the 'war against terrorism' and 'intelligence-led policing', to the full co-operation in "cyber-community policing" that is necessary to give us all genuine confidence that we are at no more risk on-line, behind our front door, than in the street, outside."

Specifically the document goes on to call for a coherent national strategy which includes a national network for reporting "non-geographic incidents", supported by "cybercaddies" to cover all areas of e-crime from child, consumer and infrastructure protection to financial services and serious and organised crime; a greater emphasis on (and resourcing of) IT training skills including e-security, e-citizenship and forensic skills; high visibility programmes for the prevention of e-crime; greater cooperation between industry and the authorities in a range of matters such as investigations and legislative reform where appropriate; and greater international cooperation and in particular the effective use by the UK of its presidencies of the G8 and EU to create effective cross-border processes.

Making the UK a location of choice for ICT businesses
The manifesto sets out a number of priorities for promoting the UK's competitiveness, including:

Transparency and certainty with regard to corporate and personal taxes.

Facilities, incentives and rewards for individuals and business to acquire and maintain skills.

Regulatory and investment regimes which encourage and reward investment in developing and exploiting innovative ideas and content (from scientific research to entertainment).

Proposals for new legislation and regulation affecting business to be rigorously assessed to ensure they will achieve intended benefits at affordable cost.

Ensuring that the City of London (including its many support functions across the rest of the UK) remains a globally trusted centre for international commerce, including the resolution of disputes, under whatever legal framework and in whatever language customers and suppliers wish to operate.

Particular priorities in these areas include reform of capital allowances for risk investment in plant and infrastructure, clarity and simplicity in taxation, legislation and regulation, improvement of patent and copyright regimes to ensure that innovators are protected and rewarded.

Joined-up government
To enable citizens to deal with government via a single identity and point of contact, the sharing of information between government agencies and departments needs to be simplified, and confusion over current laws (such as the Data Protection Act) cleared up. The manifesto makes a number of specific recommendations for streamlining and reform of legislation.

Comment
EURIM acknowledges that it would be unrealistic to expect all MPs to afford each of these issues a high priority. Indeed, with public and media attention currently focused on wider issues such as immigration, policing and health it is difficult to see any of EURIM's manifesto points making the headlines over the next two weeks. With crime and policing high on both the Labour and Conservative agendas, neither of these parties' manifestos make specific mention of the Internet although the Government has addressed many of these issues in its recently-released digital agenda. It is to be hoped that once the dust settles after 5 May the new government — whatever its political complexion — will take on board the industry's wish list. 0,39020487,39196481-2,00.htm

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