Scotland sets out digital ambitions

The document , published on 22 October 2010, says that the government wants to see more public services online, as they offer huge potential for savings in the cost of delivering public services. "The average cost for online transactions is £0.27, compared with £3.22 for telephone transactions and £6.56 for face-to-face transactions," it says. Digital achievements outlined in the documents include the Scottish Centre for Telehealth; the schools' intranet called Glow; the national entitlement card; and the One Scotland Gazetteer land and property database. In December the Scottish Government will launch Tellmescotland, an online portal for advertising public information notices. Fiona Hyslop, the minister for culture and external affairs, is responsible for coordinating Scotland's digital plans. She said: "One of the greatest challenges is to increase the relatively low levels of digital participation in Scotland. The paper published today sets out some of the action we are already taking to address this issue. "We will publish a detailed digital strategy within the next few months setting out how we will ensure Scotland is best placed to reap the benefits of the digital revolution." Comments on the initial paper can be sent to the Scottish Government at [email protected].