Webmaster to keep government online

The government will appoint a Webmaster next year to oversee the administration of government department Web sites and to help regulate their content.

This complements a broad strategy to adopt more online services and to direct government departments to update their Web content more regularly.

The appointment is in response to the slow adoption of new technology by many government departments. Others, such as GCHQ, are concerned about the security of Web sites.

The Cabinet Office has advertised for a Webmaster to take control of its Government Information Service (GIS) Web site, and recruitment is taking place from within the civil service.

A government source said: 'The government needs to be aware that, as more people get access to the Web, more information needs to be made available online. We want to reach a point where a range of official forms can be dealt with online by the public,' said the source.

Latest figures from the Cabinet Office claim the GIS Web site receives more than 1.5 million hits every week.

The Cabinet Office said the government will have links with digital TV suppliers in order to further exploit advances in technology.

The new Webmaster will be a middle-ranking civil servant from one of the more progressive departments that have pioneered the use of the Web for official business.