I regret that I must clarify an answer that I gave to the PAC when it met to consider "Government on the Web" on 13 March.

  I told the Committee that about 120,000 government users were on the Government Secure Intranet[9]. That figure was based on information given by the Departments and collated by the Central Computer and Telecommunications Agency. The figure refers to users connected to the Government Secure Intranet and as such is technically accurate. However, since the PAC hearing I have become aware that while the figure may be technically accurate, it is not the situation as a person in the street might understand it.

  Of this total, some 55,000 are represented by the Inland Revenue's electronic mail service, which connects offices in all parts of the country. This network is connected to the Government Secure Intranet, and in principle all Inland Revenue staff are able to use the network to send electronic mail to other Departments and to the Internet. The Inland Revenue has decided, as a matter of management policy, that while the business processes necessary to support unrestricted external e-mail use are put in place, a limited range of officials—Head Office Staff, Policy Staff, and Senior Officers in all Units—should be allowed to send electronic mail outside the Department. There are currently some 5,000 staff in this category. It is technically easy and quick to make the service available to more staff, and I understand that the Inland Revenue plans to do so soon as its range of electronic services expands.

  With this greater understanding, I felt that I should clarify the answer which I gave, and I have also asked the Central Computer and Telecommunications Agency to change its records to show only those officials actually using the Government Secure Intranet, rather than physically connected to it. By that measure 72,754 officials were using the Government Secure Intranet e-mail on 31 March.

Alex Allan

e-Envoy

17 May 2000