Departmental Internet

Jenny Willott
To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many complaints his Department received regarding difficulties using its website in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Lucas
According to departmental records, no formal complaints have been received in the past year by the Department or its Ministers about difficulties operating the Department's corporate websites (including the websites of the former Departments for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) and Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS)). No formal complaints on this topic were recorded in the lifetime of the DIUS website. Records of formal complaints to BERR are not available prior to March 2009 when procedures were overhauled.

The Department receives informal feedback from website users on an ongoing basis by email and via contact forms on its websites, including occasional comments on website usability.

Jenny Willott
To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how much his Department spent on external website design consultants in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Lucas
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Minister of State for Business, Innovation and Skills to the hon. Member for North-East Hertfordshire (Mr. Heald) on 29 March 2010, Official Report, columns 810-811W.