Executive Summary
Liberal Democrats believe that the revolution in Information Technology can create conditions for a more liberal world in which people are able to overcome traditional boundaries. We want to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to benefit from this revolution. Therefore we would:
- Provide government support for broadband rollout in cases where the market is failing and better connectivity would improve the economic potential of an area.
- Support continued widespread innovation in software by resisting the wider application of patents in this area.
- Work towards a copyright law for the digital age that supports artistic endeavour without imposing unnecessary restrictions on legitimate purchasers of work.
- Ensure that government plays an active role in supporting industry bodies that are seeking to raise the standard of material sent over the Internet.
- Promote the further development and take up of IT qualifications.
- Work with existing fora on IT skills requirements to make public recommendations both on domestic training needs and on the need to recruit labour from overseas.
- Review IR 35 to allow specialist contractors to charge reasonable and legitimate expenses against their pre-tax income.
- Improve the use of IT by government.
- Ensure that government delivers better services using IT.
- Replace crude quantitive e-government targets with indicators based on the quality of electronic service delivery systems.
March 29th, 2006 at 12:32 am
[…] Although the policy outlined in this website has now been adopted by the party, we are keen to get input and advice from members, supporters and other interested parties to ensure that it remains up to date and relevant. The Liberal Democrats believe strongly in consulting and campaigning with the communities that we are part of. In this particular case we are interested in hearing from the internet community with policy ideas and reaction to the ideas put forward in our policy paper. There are two primary opportunities for feedback: […]
March 29th, 2006 at 12:47 am
[…] Following the first round of consultation based on our original consultation paper, the responses generated and the party’s fundamental values, we developed a full Information and Communication Technology policy paper and accompanying policy motion for debate at the party’s Federal Conference in Spring 2003. It was passed by conference overwhelmingly, so the paper now forms the policy of the Liberal Democrats. […]