UK faces battle to meet 2005 e-government targets

Only half of the UK government's services are currently online, with less than two years to go to the 2005 target of 100 per cent, according to a new study.

The UK comes sixth out of 18 countries with 50 per cent of its services available online in the Cap Gemini Ernst & Young study undertaken on behalf of the European Commission, although this is above the 45 per cent average for the whole of Europe. The UK is also eighth in terms of the sophistication of those online services behind the likes of Norway, Finland, Sweden and Ireland.

The bi-annual benchmarking study measures both government-to-consumer and government-to-business services ranging from job searches, benefits, libraries to tax returns and customs duties.

Sweden came top of the study in terms of the sophistication of online government services, while Denmark has the most fully available online with almost 75 per cent. Luxembourg is the worst performing, propping up both categories.

Overall the pace of growth of e-government has slowed across Europe between 2002 and 2003, although the sophistication is up 22 per cent in two years to 67 per cent.

Most of the services governments are putting online are also still targeted at businesses, with two-thirds being government-to-business and a third government-to-consumer.

Stan Cozon, Cap Gemini Ernst & Young's public sector global leader, said in the report: "Clearly Europe's nation states continue to make good progress in e-government. However taking the measure of Europe's progress on services fully available online the picture is rather pessimistic. The EC will want to encourage member states to enhance the number of public services fully available online particularly those aimed at citizens."

The UK government claims it is much nearer to getting services online with the recent UK Online annual report by the Office of the e-Envoy showing 75 per cent of services are now available on the web.