The Department for Energy and Climate Change provides the following guidance to its employees based on Cabinet Office guidelines. The guidance is available to all staff on the Department's intranet.
“The Civil Service Code still applies when communicating online, whether through a blog, a discussion forum, leaving comments on videos or photos, or using social media channels such as Twitter. If your contribution is based on knowledge you have because you work at DECC, carefully consider whether you would be compromised if your posting was picked up by a journalist.
The main principles are:
Be credible: Be accurate, fair, thorough and transparent.
Be consistent: Encourage constructive criticism and deliberation. Be cordial, honest and professional at all times.
Be responsive: When you gain insight, share it where appropriate.
Be integrated: Wherever possible, align online participation with other offline communications.
Be a civil servant: Remember that you are an ambassador for your organisation. Wherever possible, disclose your position as a representative of your department or agency.
You should:
Disclose your position as a representative of your department or agency unless there are exceptional circumstances, such as a potential threat to personal security. Never give out personal details like home address and phone numbers.
Always remember that participation online results in your comments being permanently available and open to being republished in other media. Stay within the legal framework and be aware that libel, defamation, copyright and data protection laws apply. This means that you should not disclose information, make commitments or engage in activities on behalf of Government unless you are authorised to do so. This authority may already be delegated or may be explicitly granted depending on your organisation.
Also be aware that this may attract media interest in you as an individual, so proceed with care whether you are participating in an official or a personal capacity. If you have any doubts, take advice from your line manager.”
[holding answer 19 January 2010]: The unique visitors and page impressions for the last three years and 2009-10 to date are provided in the following table where the data is available.
Website 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-101 www.decc.gov.uk Unique visits — — 37,230 423,803 Page impressions — — 286,629 3,123,031 http://actonco2.direct.gov.uk/actonco2/home.html Unique visits — — 588,806 772,923 Page impressions — — 2,165,618 2,721,070 https://www.energynpsconsultation.decc.gov.uk/ Unique visits — — — 30,126 Page impressions — — — 149,424 www.sedbuk.com (on a calendar year basis) Unique visits 158,054 196,833 218,115 235,678 Page impressions 1,826,183 2,562,988 2,775,346 3,098225 www.Hfccat-demo.org Unique visits 54,372 64,572 91,601 64,778 Page impressions 10,928 18,340 22,466 18,874 www.corwm.org.uk Unique visits — — 9,003 7,820 Page impressions — — 44,908 30,738 www.og.decc.gov.uk Unique visits — — — 71,500 Page impressions — — — 235,700 https://www.og.decc.gov.uk/EIP/pages/help.htm Unique visits — — — 2,020 Page impressions — — — 4,010 www.ensg.gov.uk Page impressions — — 83,648 97,000 www.planningrenewables.org.uk Unique visits — — 14,413 7,609 Page impressions — — 93,926 41,521 www.renewables-advisory-board.org.uk Page impressions — 74,027 39,1689 322216 www.ukrenewables.com Unique visits (note 2008-09 figures available date from 8 February 2009 to 31 March 2009) — — 2110 9076 Page impressions (note 2008-09 figures available date from 8 February 2009 to 31 March 2009) — — 8089 39,852 www.decc.gov.uk/offsetting Unique visits — — 1,626 6,713 Page impressions — — 19,306 67,114 www.actoncopenhagen.gov.uk Unique visits — — — 185,020 Page impressions — — — 884,505 1 To date.