Online delivery of public services could save Britain billions: study

By switching over to online delivery of public services, Britain could save billions of pounds through cutting paper-based administration, according to a report prepared by internet entrepreneur Martha Lane Fox for the UK government.

The movement of all government service delivery contracts to the internet could save £ 2.2 billion every year, Lane Fox, co-founder of travel and retail website lastminute.com, said yesterday.

Prime minister David Cameron had, in June, appointed Lane Fox as `UK Digital Champion,' tasked with getting 10 million members of the public who have never used the internet online.

"Government should take advantage of the more open, agile and cheaper digital technologies to deliver simpler and more effective digital services to users, particularly to disadvantaged groups that are some of the heaviest users of government services," Lane Fox said.

According to a cabinet office spokesman, the government aimed to deliver as many services online trough its Directgov website as possible, but it would need to be understood that some people would always need conventional access by phone, post and in person.

With 80 per cent of university applications being already done over the web, conversion of the final 20 per cent could deliver significant savings, according to the report.