The Government is calling for feedback on a newly launched website which brings together various departments.
Gov.uk is hosted in the cloud and will act as a central hub for Government services, enabling citizens to get all the information they need from a single website - from paying council tax to checking maternity pay entitlements.
The idea came from Martha Lane Fox, who wrote a report for the Government back in 2009 calling for all services to be available online to encourage digital interaction. The alpha version of the site was launched in May, but with the latest version, public feedback is key.
"Primarily, ultimately, most importantly, this is a beta and for a beta to succeed it needs your feedback," said Tom Loosemore, lead developer for Gov.uk. "So, please, go look at the site, have a play and tell us what you think the good, the bad, the disastrous, the brilliant."
Although the site looks like real progress, there is still a way to go. The next phase, due in a few weeks, will see a private beta of a publishing platform, so all Government departments can use the same tools for the website.
The third phase will then bring a global experience language' to the table by the end of March, enabling external organisations, such as the BBC, to get involved with Gov.uk.
Loosemore admitted the current beta missed a number of much needed public services, such as renewing passports or job searches, as well as descriptions of what each Government department handles, but he promised updates would be made in the next wave of the beta.
The development team behind Gov.uk is small and is focusing its efforts using open source software to keep the process as open as possible to all.
"We're building Gov.uk the way Google build Google and Amazon build Amazon," Loosemore added.
-
RSAC Conference 2025: The front line of cyber innovationITPro Podcast Ransomware, quantum computing, and an unsurprising focus on AI were highlights of this year's event
-
Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei thinks we're burying our heads in the sand on AI job lossesNews With AI set to hit entry-level jobs especially, some industry execs say clear warning signs are being ignored
-
‘A major step forward’: Keir Starmer’s £187 million tech skills drive welcomed by UK industryNews The ‘TechFirst’ program aims to shore up the UK’s digital skills to meet future AI needs
-
Government’s ‘Humphrey’ AI tool helps local authorities cut costsNews The Minute tool, part of the Humphrey AI assistant, is being trialled at 25 councils
-
The UK government hopes AI will supercharge public sector digital transformation – IT leaders aren’t so sureNews Research from SolarWinds shows public sector transformation is progressing at a snail's pace despite IT leaders pushing for rapid improvements.
-
Starmer bets big on AI to unlock public sector savingsNews AI adoption could be a major boon for the UK and save taxpayers billions, according to prime minister Keir Starmer.
-
UK government targets ‘startup’ mindset in AI funding overhaulNews Public sector AI funding will be overhauled in the UK in a bid to simplify processes and push more projects into development.
-
UK government signs up Anthropic to improve public servicesNews The UK government has signed a memorandum of understanding with Anthropic to explore how the company's Claude AI assistant could be used to improve access to public services.
-
The UK’s AI ambitions face one major hurdle – finding enough home-grown talentNews Research shows UK enterprises are struggling to fill AI roles, raising concerns over the country's ability to meet expectations in the global AI race.
-
US government urged to overhaul outdated technologyNews A review from the US Government Accountability Office (GAO) has found legacy technology and outdated IT systems are negatively impacting efficiency.
