| | |
MPs and Peers founded PITCOM in 1981 to provide a bridge between Parliament and the IT industry. The Committee is an associate Parliamentary Group, complying with House of Commons rules for all-party groups. Its administration is funded by members' annual subscriptions.
PITCOM addresses the public policy issues generated by ICT and their application across the public and private sectors of the UK economy. |
|
Rt Hon Stephen Timms MP, Financial Secretary to the Treasury and a former Treasurer of the Parliamentary Information Technology Committee (PITCOM) was guest of honour at PITCOM’s summer reception on the House of Lords Terrace on 23rd June 2009. The evening was hosted by the Earl of Erroll, and kindly sponsored by Motorola.
Left to right:
Rt Hon Alun Michael MP, PITCOM Council member
Christine Stewart Munro, PITCOM Administrative Secretary
Andrew Miller MP, PITCOM Chairman
Rt Hon Stephen Timms MP, Financial Secretary to the Treasury
Graeme Hobbs, Chairman of Motorola
The Earl of Erroll, Host
Nigel Fine, Chief Executive of the Institution of Engineering and Technology.
|
• 
ICT industry gives thumbs up to Coalition plans
by admin
30 Jul 2010 at 4:06pm
The ICT industry essentially supports the Coalition Government's IT strategy - including its emphasis on cost cutting - but still has questions about the details. read more
• 
The ICT Professional: Ian White, Oracle
by admin
30 Jul 2010 at 4:02pm
Oracle is now such a familiar staple of the public sector ICT landscape that it's difficult to remember that there was once a time when rival database vendor Ingres - in tandem with hardware firm ICL - had a stranglehold on this section of the market and Oracle was frozen out. read more
• 
Unit4 launch utility helping local govt comply with Transparency Programme
by admin
30 Jul 2010 at 3:56pm
The 90 plus local government clients of UNIT4 Business Software will from this week be able to access a utility enabling them to comply with the Government’s Transparency Programme, five months ahead of the January 2011 deadline. Described as “unique to the marketplace”, the Open and Linked Data Initiative is available for free to users of UNIT4’s Agresso ERP software, allowing them to meet (and exceed) the government’s requirements for authorities to publish spending data above £500. read more
• 
DWP says radical welfare reform demands ICT investment
by admin
30 Jul 2010 at 3:40pm
The Coalition's plans for radical reform of the welfare system will necessitate an ICT upgrade to create an integrated system for claims and payments. The reforms would reduce over 50 benefits and tax credits to one "universal credit". People finding a job would see benefits gradually withdrawn as income rose. Another option is to keep the current benefits and tax credits but have a "single unified taper". read more
• 
Government refuses non "straightforward" IE6 upgrade demands despite security fears
by admin
30 Jul 2010 at 12:57pm
The government has refused to upgrade departments from Internet Explorer 6 to Internet Explorer 8, the latest version of Microsoft’s web browser, as it would not be a “straightforward” process. Over 6,200 signatures were gathered by an ePetition, which ran on the Number 10 website until 6 June, calling for the government to implement an upgrade programme. read more
• 
Public sector outsourcing on rise as private sector shrinks
by admin
30 Jul 2010 at 12:12pm
The public sector accounted for 75% of the UK's €12 bilion total outsourcing spend during the first half of 2010 – that's before the Coalition Government cuts kick in in the second half. read more
• 
ICO considers Google inadvertent data collection
by admin
30 Jul 2010 at 10:05am
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has issued a statement, following the admission from Google that its Street View camera cars inadvertently collected data from Wi-Fi networks. read more
• 
Gartner Exclusive : Govt and its five roles within Cloud Computing
by admin
29 Jul 2010 at 11:52am
A new report from Gartner has concluded there are five roles government organisations could play in order to realise and maximise the benefits of Cloud Computing. The report pointed out a number of reasons for the increasing interest from government organisations in the Cloud, not least budgetary constraints and “the need for flexibility”, and called for the alignment to occur under a number of recommendations. read more
• 
New asset management system for East Staffordshire
by admin
29 Jul 2010 at 10:46am
East Staffordshire Borough Council has announced it’s to deploy a new asset management platform to better manage its £47 million asset base, including operational buildings, investment properties, and parks. read more
• 
Government plans to scrap outsourcing pay guarantee
by admin
29 Jul 2010 at 10:17am
In a move destined to produce “chaos” and “strife” between workers, the Coalition Government plans to scrap guarantees that new recruits to outsourcing firms will be paid the same as former public sector colleagues. read more
|
• ICO statement on the assessment of Google's WiFi data
29 Jul 2010 at 11:35am
The ICO has issued a statement about its latest assessment of WiFi data collected by Google's Street View cars.
• FS50294798
27 Jul 2010 at 1:26pm
The complainant made a request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (the ?Act?) to the Department for Transport (DfT) for information relating to the latest bonus of the Chief Executive of an agency of the DfT. The DfT explained that some of the information requested was publicly available. It explained that the annual reports of the DfT and the relevant agencies contain salary and bonus information relating to the individual concerned within a £5,000 band. The complainant was directed to this information. The specific information about the bonus was refused under the exemption contained at section 40(2) of the Act. The Commissioner considers that the DfT correctly applied the section 40(2) exemption to withhold the information relating to the bonus of the individual concerned and ...
• FS50294295
27 Jul 2010 at 1:22pm
The complainant requested information about individual Member?s unpaid debts in relation to internal entertainment and catering. After considerable delay, the House provided the information about the debts that exceeded 90 days. It applied section 40(2) to the remaining information. The Commissioner has considered this case carefully. His decision is that the House applied section 40(2) appropriately to the disputed information. However, he finds that the House breached section 10(1) twice and 17(1) once as it failed comply with the procedural requirements of the Act. He requires no remedial steps to be taken in this case.
• FS50286058
27 Jul 2010 at 1:19pm
The complainant made a request to the Ministry of Justice on 21 October 2009, resubmitting the request on 17 November 2009 owing to its misdirection. Following receipt of the request the public authority investigated and found that the information was not held by the authority. The public authority failed to provide this response within twenty working days of receipt of the information request and therefore the Commissioner finds the authority to have breached sections 1(1)(a) and 10(1) of the Act.
• FS50275939
27 Jul 2010 at 1:16pm
The complainant requested background information relating to Lord Carter's report ?Securing the Future: Proposals for the efficient and sustainable use of custody in England and Wales?. The complainant was directed to some information available in the public domain. In relation to the remainder of the information it held that fell within the scope of the request, the public authority cited the exemption provided by section 35(1)(a) (information relating to the formulation or development of government policy). The Commissioner finds that this exemption was engaged, but that the public interest in the maintenance of this exemption did not outweigh the public interest in disclosure and that, in failing to disclose this information within 20 working days of receipt of the request, the publi...
• FS50260727
27 Jul 2010 at 1:13pm
The complainant made a request to the Foreign & Commonwealth Office for information concerning José Mauricio Bustani, the former Director General of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. In response the public authority disclosed a quantity of information falling within the scope of the request. However, some information was redacted under the exemption in section 27(1) (International relations) of the Act. The Commissioner has investigated the complaint and has found that the exemption was correctly applied and that the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighed the public interest in disclosure. In its handling of the request the Commissioner found that the public authority complied with section 10(1) Time for compliance) but breached section 17(1)(b) ...
• FS50259955
27 Jul 2010 at 12:36pm
The complainant requested information relating to the BBC?s total taxi spend over the previous financial year and to the BBC?s contract and taxi spend with a ground transportation booking and management company called One Transport. The BBC provided answers to some of the requested information but withheld part of the information under section 43(2). The Commissioner has concluded that section 43(2) is not engaged. The Commissioner also found that the BBC had not met the requirements of sections 1(1)(b), 10(1), and 17(1).
• FS50246362
27 Jul 2010 at 12:23pm
The complainant requested copies of documents that a deputy district judge had determined should not be withheld under public interest immunity regulations during the prosecution of protestors against EDO MBM, an arms company. Sussex Police refused to confirm or deny whether it held the information falling within the scope of the request, citing the exemption provided by section 40(5)(b)(i) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (the ?Act?). The Commissioner finds that confirmation or denial would disclose personal data and that the disclosure of this personal data would be in breach of the first data protection principle. The exemption provided by section 40(5)(b)(i) is therefore engaged and the public authority is not required to take any steps.
• FS50220748
27 Jul 2010 at 12:07pm
The complainant made a four part request for information relating to the 2007 police pay settlement. In response to parts 1 and 3 of this request the public authority denied it held any relevant information and in response to parts 2 and 4 the public authority confirmed that information was held, but cited the exemptions provided by sections 36(2)(b)(i) and (ii) (inhibition to the free and frank provision of advice and exchange of views). The Commissioner finds that the public authority stated correctly that no information was held that fell within the scope of parts 1 and 3 of the request. In connection with parts 2 and 4 of the request the Commissioner finds that the exemptions provided by sections 36(2)(b)(i) and (ii) are not engaged and the public authority is required to disclose t...
• FS50298086
26 Jul 2010 at 4:31pm
The complainant, a firm of solicitors, submitted a number of requests to the Cabinet Office on behalf of one of its clients, Lord Ashcroft. The requests focused on Lord Ashcroft?s first nomination for a working peerage in 1999. The Cabinet Office confirmed that it held information falling within the scope of these requests but refused to provide this information relying on the exemptions contained at sections 40(1), 40(2) and 37(1)(b) of the Act. (The Cabinet Office also provided the complainant with a response with regard to whether its client was entitled to this information under the Data Protection Act.) For the purposes of this notice the Commissioner has considered the Cabinet Office?s handling of the requests under the Act. He has concluded that all of the requested information i...
|
• Ambition 2020 Report welcomed by e-skills UK
28 Jul 2010 at 1:00am
• Protect your assets
28 Jul 2010 at 12:00am
Securing your online business starts with protecting your PC says Thomas Vollrath, CEO of 123 Reg.
• New savvy topic underway
27 Jul 2010 at 11:14am
The Savvy Citizens Environment topic has got off to a great start. The topic launched on 5 July with an exclusive interview with Mark O?Neill, author of Green IT for Sustainable Business Practice.
• Power in the ether
26 Jul 2010 at 11:22am
The standard for power-over-Ethernet have been revised so that it is possible for cables to carry more power. Sani Ronen, Product Marketing Manager, PowerDsine Midspans, with Microsemi's Analog Mixed Signal Group reports.
• A quiet revolution
26 Jul 2010 at 11:06am
Open source is thriving in the business world, and in the public sector, but why now, and just what is it about open source software that hits the spot? Ash Nanda, VP of Services at Actuate UK investigates.
• Best of both worlds
26 Jul 2010 at 10:58am
Open source software may be seen as a panacea for many businesses, however, there is a need to integrate new systems with existing ones says Steve Harris, Director, Novell.
• Can open source be secure?
26 Jul 2010 at 10:50am
Steve Smith, Managing Director of IT security consultancy Pentura, looks at the implications of using open source in business and argues that security is just one issue that organisations need to consider when contemplating an open source system.
• Running on open source
26 Jul 2010 at 12:00am
For several years Memset has been running all its business systems over the internet by using open source software. Kate Craig-Wood shares her tips on how to embrace open source software in your business.
• Power of partnerships
23 Jul 2010 at 5:10pm
Steve Shine, Ingres Executive Vice President of Worldwide Operations, provides an insight into how open source software can empower channel partners to lead innovation and develop products in collaboration with software vendors.
• Cracking the desktop
23 Jul 2010 at 5:07pm
It?s not unusual to be running open source at the server level but get down to the desktop and it?s a different story, for now. Desktop computing is dominated by a certain software brand but that doesn?t mean it?s the only or best way says Paul Craddock, Technical Director, Thinspace.
|
|
|
| | | |
|
