Directory of European and national rules on Web Applications (updated version, 21 May 2008)
edited by the Research Staff of the Italian Senate Library

UNITED KINGDOM[1]

Legislation

Electronic Communications Act 2000, Chapter 7
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2000/ukpga_20000007_en_1

Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOI Act), Chapter 36
[Fully in force since 2005]
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2000/ukpga_20000036_en_1

Related documents:
Freedom of Information: annual reports
[2001-2005 Reports, related to the implementation and operation of the Freedom of Information Act 2000]
http://www.dca.gov.uk/dept/depstrat.htm#foi

Annual Reports on Freedom of Information in central government: 2005 onwards
[Annual Reports on application of and amendments to FOI Act]
http://www.foi.gov.uk/reference/statisticsAndReports.htm

Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000, Chapter 34
[According to this Act, government websites must now also have ‘due regard’ to how they eliminate unlawful discrimination and promote equal opportunities.
Guidance:
http://archive.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/e-government/resources/
handbook/html/1-10/1-10-8.asp
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2000/ukpga_20000034_en_1

Disability Rights Commission Act 1999, Chapter 17
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts1999/ukpga_19990017_en_1

Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (c. 50), Chapter 50
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts1995/Ukpga_19950050_en_1.htm  

Data Protection Act 1988
[It contains 8 data protection principles which taken together define the standards that must be met when processing personal data. The purpose of the Data Protection Act is to ‘make provision for the regulation of the processing of information relating to individuals, including the obtaining, holding, use or disclosure of such information’. Information relating to individuals that is either published on websites or is collected from individuals who visit those sites thus falls within the scope of the Act.
The key features of the Act are:
- the system of notification (replacing registration under the 1984 Act);
- the data protection principles;
- the creation of rights for individuals, including the right to obtain copies of personal data held about them;
- independent enforcement by the Information Commissioner.
The principles and individuals’ rights are probably the most significant parts of the Act. Data controllers should be mindful of the right of individuals to seek compensation through the courts for any damage and associated distress suffered as a result of breaches of the Act.
Further guidance and advice is available from the Information Commissioner’s website: www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk/
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/Acts/Acts1998/ukpga_19980029_en_1

Related document:
Guidelines for government websites
§ 1.10.2 - Legal issues - Data Protection Act
May 2002
[See also: Guidelines for government websites
http://archive.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/e-government/resources/handbook/html/htmlindex.asp
http://archive.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/e-government/resources/handbook/html/1-10/1-10-2.asp

Local Regulation

Scotland

Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002
http://www.hmso.gov.uk/legislation/scotland/acts2002/20020013.htm

Information Age Government in Scotland. A common framework
May 2002 (ultime modifiche 2006)
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/46922/0025816.pdf

Wales

National Assembly for Wales
Code of practice on access to information
2007, 1st edition
http://new.wales.gov.uk/cisd/publications/codeaccessinfo2007/codee.pdf?lang=en

Frameworks, Guidelines and Reports

UK Gov Talk, Cabinet Office, Schemas and Standards
April 2008
[This section outlines the technical standards that will act as the foundation of e-Government strategy]
http://www.govtalk.gov.uk/schemasstandards/schemasstandards.asp

BBC Standards and Guidelines
Accessibility Guidelines v1.2
2007
[Standards relating to all public facing BBC websites]
http://www.bbc.co.uk/guidelines/newmedia/accessibility/

Chief Information Officer Council, Cabinet Office
Transformational Government  - Implementation plan
March 2006
http://www.cio.gov.uk/transformational_government/implplan/

Tickbox.net survey
DirectGov – Internet Thinking
February 2006
[Research published by Directgov; it points to the 'Supersite' phenomenon. People don’t' surf the web like before, they are now using the internet more smartly, visiting a handful of destination websites that have emerged as ‘Supersites’ due to their importance to people’s lives. As an integral part of its wider transformation of public services, the government has launched an awareness campaign for its own Supersite – Directgov (www.direct.gov.uk)]
http://archive.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/e-government/directgov/index.asp#tickbox

Equality and Human Rights Commission - BSI-British Standards Institution
Guide to good practice in commissioning accessible websites
PAS 78:2006
2006
http://www.equalityhumanrights.com/Documents/Disability
/Accessibility%20guidance/Website%20accessibility%20
guidance%20PAS78%20(BSI%20publicly%20available%20specification).pdf

Office of the Deputy Prime Minister
Modern councils, modern services - Access for all
2006
http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/localgovernment/pdf/156555

Iq content
Benchmarking eGovernment Websites in the U.K. and Ireland: Who's Getting it Right? (And Why?)
2005
http://www.iqcontent.com/publications/reports/article_43/

Disability Rights Commission
Making website that are easy for everyone to use. Easy red guide
2004
http://www.equalityhumanrights.com/Documents/
Disability/Accessibility%20guidance/web_access_inclusion_easyread.pdf

The web. Access and Inclusion for disabled people. A formal investigation conducted by the Disability Rights Commission
2004
http://www.equalityhumanrights.com/Documents/DRC/
Useful%20Documents/The%20Web_Access%20and%20
inclusion%20for%20disabled%20people.pdf

Guidelines for government websites
Publishing date: 2001 (Revised March 2004)
["These revised guidelines grew out of the first edition, which was published in December 1999. This first version was commissioned by the Central IT Unit of the Cabinet Office and written by Cyberia, and underwent a lengthy consultation process. This second edition was commissioned by the Office of the e-Envoy as a result of advancements in technology and changes in government priorities. It builds on the previous version by updating, clarifying and extending the range of advice". A Framework for senior managers was published in 2001 and revised on March 2004. "This framework document sets out key guidelines that should underpin all current government websites"]
http://archive.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/e-government/
resources/handbook/html/htmlindex.asp  

Framework for local government
June 2003
http://212.137.45.209/oee/oee.nsf/sections/
webguidelines-localgovt-top/$file/local-government-fw.pdf

Framework for senior managers
2001
http://archive.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/e-envoy/
webguidelines-top/$file/webguidelines.htm

Cabinet Office Reports and Guidelines

[ http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/government_it/web_guidelines.aspx ]

Office of the e-Envoy, Cabinet Office
Delivering inclusive websites
TG102
[In February 2008, not officially issued yet]
http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/upload/assets/
www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/publications/government_it/
consultations/pdf/delivering_inclusive_websites1.pdf

Office of the e-Envoy, Cabinet Office
Quality Framework for UK Government Website Design: Usability issues for government Websites
July 2003
[Not in force any more]
http://archive.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/e-government/
docs/qualityframework/pdf/quality.pdf  

Building in universal accessibility
TG112 (2002)
http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/upload/assets/
www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/publications/government_it/web_guidelines/tg112.pdf

Website evaluation, usage and analysis
TG107 (2002)
http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/upload/assets/
www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/publications/government_it/
web_guidelines/evaluation1.pdf

Office of the e-Envoy, Cabinet Office
Guidelines for UK government Websites
2001
[Not in force any more]
http://archive.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/e-government/
resources/handbook/html/htmlindex.asp

The Stationery Office
Modernising Government
Presented to Parliament by the Prime Minister and the Minister for the Cabinet Office by Command of Her Majesty
March 1999
http://www.archive.official-documents.co.uk/document/cm43/4310/4310.htm

 

Sources

The London Gazette, 1665- . London: HMSO, 1665-
http://www.gazettes.co.uk/

Statutes in force. Official revised edition. [1 Aug 1972?]- . London: HMSO, 1972-

Index to the Statutes in force, 1235- . London: HMSO. [published every two years]

The public general acts, 1866- . London: Eyre and Spottiswoode, 1866-

Chronological Table of Local Acts, 1797-2001. London: HMSO.

Chronological Table of Private and Personal Acts, 1539-2001. London: TSO.

Halsbury's statutes of England and Wales. Fourth edition, 1985- . London [etc.]: Butterworth [etc.], 1985-

Halsbury's statutes of England and Wales. Fourth edition. Destination tables, 1995- . London [etc.]: Butterworth [etc.], 1995-

Halsbury's laws of England, being a complete statement of the whole law
of England… Fourth edition, 1973- . London [etc.]: Butterworth [etc.], 1973-

Halsbury's laws of England. Cumulative supplement, 1978- . [Fourth edition]. London [etc.]: Butterworth [etc.], 1978-

Halsbury's laws of England. Current service, 1979- . [Fourth edition]. London [etc.]: Butterworth [etc.], 1979-

Halsbury's laws of England. Annual abridgement, 1974- . London [etc.]: Butterworth [etc.], 1974-

Halsbury's statutory instruments, being a companion work to Halsbury's statutes of England… 1951- . London [etc.]: Butterworth [etc.], 1951-

Statutory instruments, 1890- . London: HMSO, 1891-

Web Sources

Official Website of the British Monarchy
http://www.royal.gov.uk/output/Page1.asp

UK Parliament
http://www.parliament.uk/

House of Lords
http://www.parliament.uk/lords/index.cfm

House of Commons
http://www.parliament.uk/commons/index.cfm

Parliamentary Online Indexing Service (POLIS)
[offers the Parliamentary Data database, maintained and updated by House of Commons Library staff]
http://www.polis.parliament.uk

Office of the Deputy Prime Minister
http://www.communities.gov.uk/corporate/

Bills Index Database
http://bills.ais.co.uk/AC.asp

Directgov Portal
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/index.htm  

e-government Portal
http://www.gateway.gov.uk/

Cabinet Office - Office of the e-envoy
http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/
http://archive.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/e-envoy/index-content.htm [old Website]

Her Majesty's Stationery Office (HMSO) - United Kingdom Legislation
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/

UK Official Publications Database (UKOP)
http://www.ukop.co.uk/info/index.html

Official Documents Archive Website
http://www.archive.official-documents.co.uk/

UK Office for Library & Information Networking (UKOLN)
http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/

Chief Information Officer Council
http://www.cio.gov.uk/

Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) – Section for Disabled People
http://www.dwp.gov.uk/lifeevent/discare/

Department of Health
http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/index.htm  

Information Commissioner
[UK's independent Authority set up to promote access to official information and to protect personal information]
http://www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk/
http://www.ico.gov.uk/

Equality and Human Rights Commission (2007-)
http://www.equalityhumanrights.com/en/Pages/default.aspx

BSI-British Standards Institution (UK's National Standards Body - NSB)
http://www.bsi-global.com/  

Scotland

Scottish Government
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/

Wales

Welsh Assembly Government
http://www.wales.gov.uk/

[1]
Many thanks to Edward White, ECPRD Correspondent.

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