By Will Sturgeon, 20 March 2006 16:45
NEWS
A UK MP has hit out at the House of Commons IT infrastructure, saying there are schools in his constituency with far more advanced IT than the nation's seat of government.
Conservative MP Grant Shapps said, in part, the problem is due to restrictive levels of red tape and policy but also because too few MPs demand anything more than the most basic levels of connectivity.
He said: "The IT here really sucks. I go to schools in my constituency who have sorted this out better."
Shapps said the lack of interest in technology among many MPs, embodied by self-professed technophobe Prime Minister Tony Blair, means there are few strong voices to push for modernisation and change. "The Prime Minister has frighteningly little grasp of technology," he said.
Shapps said he feels forced to shun the parliamentary network altogether, favouring a laptop with a 3G card or even public wi-fi access, all of which he must arrange himself. He added that he knows of at least 10 other members of parliament who feel they have been forced to take matters into their own hands.
His hand was forced by a refusal to install ADSL or wi-fi in Westminster and laggard policy regarding the roll out of new technology, he told silicon.com.
Although putting cable in the Palace of Westminster may sound problematic, Shapps said even the lobby area of the relatively new building at Portcullis House is remarkably behind the times.
He said for an airy atrium with coffee shops and general seating areas in which many staff work, it's unthinkable that it doesn't have wi-fi.
Shapps said: "This looks like it should be a wi-fi haven but it isn't," adding that not only does it not have wi-fi, "it doesn't even have power points to plug in a laptop".
He said: "It's easier to go work in Starbucks than it is to work here," though he admitted that gives rise to other IT issues such as effective back-up and security.
But Shapps doesn't buy the excuse that security concerns should stall a wi-fi rollout which would enable MPs to more effectively communicate with one another and with their constituents.
He said: "There's really not that much of an excuse. There's a lot of fudging the issue going on."
In January this year, a report by the House of Commons Administration Committee called for secure wireless internet access to be installed in the corridors of power.
But Shapps says any progress on the back of this recommendation is proving slow to materialise. "They're still very much talking about thinking about doing it," he said.
Consideration, rather than implementation is also very much the order of the day regarding ADSL connections, he added, though he is hopeful of improvement as new generations of more "IT savvy" MPs start walking the corridors of power.
Comments
There are 8 comments. Join the discussion
1. Karen Challinor
One reason is that the MP's might actually have to become aware of the views of the general public, which may not coincide with their own but they would have to act on them if they knew what they were. Currently they have plausible deniability and merely have to assume the public is only interested in those views that got them into office some three or four years ago.
No wonder they aren't too bothered about the lack of progress.
The same way they aren't too bothered about the lack of progress towards electoral reform, a manifesto pledge as I remember, unlike the word "compulsory" on the ID card bill which I believe said "voluntary" at election time
2. Richard Sarson
Grant Shapps says "there are few strong voices to push for modernisation and change" in the House of Commons. He should get out more and find them. They exist, even in his own party. And there is a plethora of All Party Groups dedicated to pushing IT. I was at a meeting of one of these last night, debating data sharing, an important topic right now, because of Soham, Transformational Government etc. I didn't see Shapps there.
Most of the APGs have been moaning about the House network, since Grant was in short pants. As a newboy, he should ask their help in his crusade.
3. Julian Nicholls
I love the way this story contrasts so beautifully with the way that all the IT will magically work when they introduce ID cards.
There'll also be that nice central database that will save all the crooks loads of time, since they only need to break one lot of security to get everything they need in one place.
I know that is a gross simplification, but unfortunately I don't believe it's any grosser than the simplification that the goverment is trying to sell us.
4. anonymous
If supporters get peerages for loans (allegedly); What do MPs get for obedience - they aren't interested, because they are only lobby-fodder, steamrollering fuhrer Blair's crackpot policies through !!!!
5. Dr Mark Hosey
I believe we are predominantly ruled by solicitors, lawyers and accountants. The ratio of MPs with an engineering or scientific background (and experience) to solicitors, lawyers and accountants is, I suspect, far smaller than one would find in the general population. No surprise then that the majority of them (MPs that is) show a profound and disturbing lack of knowledge and understanding, or indeed common sense, when faced with what most of us consider important tools for work and pleasure.
We need more engineers in government!
6. Rory Choudhuri
To Richard Sarson:
If, as you say, "there is a plethora of All Party Groups dedicated to pushing IT", then why is the IT infrastructure at the Palace of Westminster so poor? Are these APGs debating too much and not doing enough?
7. Julian Nicholls
Dr Hosey has hit the nail on the head. There are way too many lawyers in parliament, a profession whose sole aim seems to be to hear the sound of their own voices.
There are nearly enough engineers of any persuasion in parliament, least of all computer professionals.
I suspect that engineers would rather be doing something practical for the country, like building bridges and useful software, than participating in the talking shop in Westminster.
8. YPS Suri
It is a sad reading. Tony does not look so outdated to us in distant land India.
Responding to the article, I feel UK needs younger MPs and a PM with a modern outlook to ensure that UK Govt embraces new age technologies as intensely as the Chinese and Indians do currently.
Tony Blair must realise that the modern information age thrives on instant connectivity at all levels leading to better governance and communication.