In September 2000, the UK Prime Minister Tony Blair launched a campaign to encourage people, business and government to go online. It has three key targets: to make Britain the best place in the world for e-commerce; to ensure universal access to the internet; and to make all government services available online.

The UK online website provides a single access point to online services and information. The Government Gateway complements the site, giving the UK the most advanced e-government infrastructure anywhere in the world and allowing citizens and businesses to conduct secure, authenticated transactions with all government departments 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Both the portal and the Gateway focus on users' needs rather than the government's internal structure. Already, 42 percent of government services are available online, and this figure is set to rise to 73 percent by 2002.

The delivery of UK online and the government's broader ICT agenda is being led by the e-Minister, Patricia Hewitt MP, and co-ordinated out of the Office of the e-Envoy. The e-Envoy, Andrew Pinder, has a unique role, working with public service providers, the private sector and the rest of government to promote e-business, ensure e-inclusion and co-ordinate strategic thinking. A number of initiatives have flowed from these appointments, positioning the UK as one of the world's leading knowledge economies.

The UK is now the cheapest place in the world for off-peak internet access and peak-time rates below the OECD average. 1.7 million businesses in the UK are already connected to the internet, while 90 percent of employees have web access at work. The government aims to have fifteen million small and medium-sized enterprises trading online by 2005. The UK is also Europe's largest e-commerce market, worth over £2 billion annually and growing rapidly. UK consumers are more likely than those in the rest of Europe and the US to visit e-commerce sites and in a poll of 201 international web businesses, London has been voted the e-capital of Europe. UK online for business supports the government's aim of making the UK a leading knowledge economy, offering expert practical advice on doing business online. But the government's agenda is not solely about business.

The UK online citizen portal covers both public and private sector services, and provides a single point of entry to government services and information. The portal aims to provide services that match the way people live and work, and can be personalised to suit individual user's needs. The Prime Minister has set up a policy action team with the ultimate aim of ensuring that everyone who wants it has access to the internet by 2005. The voluntary and community sectors will play an important role in bridging the digital divide.

Meanwhile, the Department for Culture Media and Sport's proposals for Culture Online aim to widen access to and encourage participation in the arts and culture. Culture Online will give individuals and communities direct access to materials from museums, galleries, libraries, heritage sites, film archives, the performing arts and the digital arts. Effectively, it will mean that the UK's museums and cultural institutions are open 24 hours a day and that anyone, regardless of age, background or geographical location can benefit from their resources and expertise.

The common theme underlying all the government's online initiatives is inclusion - ensuring that the benefits are equally accessible to all UK citizens. From primary schools to stately homes, IT is bringing real, practical benefits to people all around the country.