United Kingdom

[GB] Information Society - Agenda for action

IRIS 1996-9:1/7

Stefaan Verhulst

PCMLP University of Oxford

The House of Lords Select Committee on Science and Technology has recently published its report, Information Society: Agenda for Action in the UK . The report is the result of a five month enquiry, concentrated on the impact and applications of the superhighway in society. It outlines the new information technologies, the infrastructure in the UK, some of the approaches and policies other countries, and the EU are adopting and it discusses also the views of witnesses. The Committee develops during the report numerous recommendations. These include the setting up of an Information Society Task Force in the UK, similar to the US; fundamental changes to the regulatory framework (such as the review of the restrictions on telecommunications companies either conveying or providing broadcast entertainment services in their own right, a code of practice for the Internet Service Providers' Association); specific actions to be taken by government, including the promotion of electronic publishing to facilitate widespread access to Government publications. The Committee also makes recommendations on the subjects of universal access e.g. free use of the Internet by using terminals placed in public spaces such as libraries, post offices etc.; education e.g. Free Computers for Education scheme; health care e.g. E-mail connection for all NHS departments; environmental benefits e.g. tele- and flexi-working; electronic publishing and archiving; encryption and verification; grants to facilitate the use of IT.