A sweeping redesign of the government's seven biggest websites aims to save £1.2bn over the next three years – and further improvements to other department sites used for interaction with the public will save a further £1.7bn annually from 2015, according to Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude.
Making the billion annual transactions between government, citizens and businesses "digital by default" will see accelerated savings, as more driving test bookings, tax payments and other government-related transactions go online, Maude said.
Unveiling a sweeping new digital strategy to get those everyday transactions with government online, Maude said that £1.2bn could be saved in the next three years – and that the pace of saving would accelerate over time.
"Digital services are much more convenient because they can be accessed whenever you want them," said Maude. "They are also much more efficient, saving taxpayers' money and the user's time. Online transactions can be 20 times cheaper than by phone, 30 times cheaper than face-to-face, and up to 50 times cheaper than by post."
Seven of the busiest government departments, including the Inland Revenue and Department of Work and Pensions, will be obliged to overhaul their websites to ensure that they offer the best possible experience for people who want to use them to access services.
Source: The Guardian
