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Election 2005: Time for MPs to get behind tech

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• MPs

Clive Gringras Olswang

Published: 27 Apr 2005 14:00 BST

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At the end of March the European Information Society Group (EURIM) launched its election manifesto points, aimed at MPs from all parties. EURIM brings together MPs, Peers and MEPs from all parties as well as key players in the UK communications, e-commerce and IT sectors to promote these industries' concerns to the Government.

Underlying the manifesto is the assumption that "Internet and e-government issues are now mainstream". The manifesto states that, with over half of UK voters now using the Internet, "they expect policies that address their concerns, expectations and priorities from jobs for themselves and their children; through law and order to the improved delivery of public services such as health and education. Those policies need to be based on what is already happening around us as well as on what can realistically be delivered."

The manifesto contains 10 headline "action plans". These are set out below:

• The vision for 2010: providing local access to world-class communications to avoid the danger of communities without access dropping out of the world economy.
• E-crime: bringing law enforcement into the Internet age.
• A location of choice: making the UK attractive for Information Age Business.
• "Joined up Government": providing citizens with access to Government and public services when and where they need them.
• Skills: enabling students (of any age, including those in work) to acquire and maintain the IT skills they need. The manifesto contains a number of detailed proposals on training and how to fund it.
• Public services: ensuring better practice in the transformation of public services, specifically through the way major public sector IT projects are handled.
• The voluntary sector: valuing, respecting and harnessing the motivations of the "third sector".

E-crime and law enforcement
The manifesto asserts that "More criminals now use computers than use crowbars. Half of all theft and fraud involves computers and mobile phones. E-Crime is no longer 'special'. It has to be addressed within mainstream policing."

The manifesto urges a move away from "narrow agendas driven by the 'war against terrorism' and 'intelligence-led policing', to the full co-operation in "cyber-community policing" that is necessary to give us all genuine confidence that we are at no more risk on-line, behind our front door, than in the street, outside."

Specifically the document goes on to call for a coherent national strategy which includes a national network for reporting "non-geographic incidents", supported by "cybercaddies" to cover all areas of e-crime from child, consumer and infrastructure protection to financial services and serious and organised crime; a greater emphasis on (and resourcing of) IT training skills including e-security, e-citizenship and forensic skills; high visibility programmes for the prevention of e-crime; greater cooperation between industry and the authorities in a range of matters such as investigations and legislative reform where appropriate; and greater international cooperation and in particular the effective use by the UK of its presidencies of the G8 and EU to create effective cross-border processes.

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