21 February 2003
Labour's £6bn crusade to make the UK an e-government haven by 2005 is in danger of stalling because ministers have failed to encourage the fastest-growing section of the population – older people – to cross 'the digital divide'.
A report by the National Audit Office, published on February 20, outlined a serious shortfall in the number of elderly people using electronic government services such as departmental Internet websites, digital TV and call centres.
While 94% of 16-24 year-olds have used the Internet, only 17% of those over 65 have – and even fewer 'silver surfers' have used government services on-line, auditors found.
The NAO urged ministers to become more 'proactive' in helping older people to overcome psychological barriers to using
e-services, and recommended that each department should review its facilities, after it was discovered that many were not perceived as 'older-people friendly'.
Other factors that stifled their participation, the NAO found, included the cost of computers, the location of services and physical disabilities.
Labour has set itself a target to provide all UK citizens with access to the Internet by 2005 and the Office of the e-Envoy estimates that the government will have invested around £6bn in wider e-services by March 2006. But auditors claimed ministers should set themselves a specific 'older people' target' to ensure they meet their broader aim.
NAO auditor general Sir John Bourn said: 'More older people would be willing to use new technologies if they saw the benefit.'
The NAO did, however, praise many departments for delivering their general e-government targets on time and within budget.
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