Lane-Fox: Bring all Government websites under DirectGov domain

This would need a kite mark system to assure users of its authenticity but could again mean a massive improvement for citizen access.

"My recommendations have radical implications for Government's entire web presence, as well as for DirectGov," she concluded.

Government response

Minister for the Cabinet Office, Francis Maude, welcomed the report.

"The shift towards online services also has the power to transform the relationship between Government and individuals," he said.

"As Martha Lane Fox's insightful report shows, there is no excuse for not making quality online services the default solution for providing services for people needing Government services. Not only are services more convenient and cheaper, but they can be better and more personalised."

However, he acknowledged there were still those who could not get onto the internet and they needed services too.

"This [commitment] does not mean we will abandon groups that are less likely to access the internet: we recognise that we cannot leave anyone behind. Every single Government service must be available to everyone no matter if they are online or not," he added.

Jennifer Scott

Jennifer Scott is a former freelance journalist and currently political reporter for Sky News. She has a varied writing history, having started her career at Dennis Publishing, working in various roles across its business technology titles, including ITPro. Jennifer has specialised in a number of areas over the years and has produced a wealth of content for ITPro, focusing largely on data storage, networking, cloud computing, and telecommunications.

Most recently Jennifer has turned her skills to the political sphere and broadcast journalism, where she has worked for the BBC as a political reporter, before moving to Sky News.