URGENT: Labour Info-Highway policy
Brown, R Ken
brownrk1 at texaco.com
Mon, 6 Jul 1998 12:06:09 -0500
I think the document I include below has all or most of the text
(largely about village halls :-), but it became un-HTMLised along the
way - I copied it from someone's website a while back. Not very good
but all I can find. No dount you have already been deluged with proper
copies.
Ken Brown (& not his bosses who have nothing to do with this, usual
disclaimer, blah blah)
> But a quick review shows I've only got the "edited highlights" i.e.
all the stuff on
> crypto but not the whole document. Could anyone who has it please
e-mail me
> with it.
Communicating Britain's Future
Labour Party policy on the superhighway
Note: this is a useful checklist of social and economic issues raised by
the growth of the Internet.
Stephen Bostock.
back to the Internet resource page
The coming of the information society provides an unparalleled economic
opportunity for Britain. We already lead the world in many of the skills
that will
increasingly come to the fore: the development of new techniques of
communication; the preparation of software; the use of computer
graphics.
We have some of the best animation and special effects and media
companies
in
the world. British companies and British workers are leaders in the
field.
What we
need, however, is a Government that will allow and encourage these
skills to
flourish.
The economic advantages will flow primarily to those countries and
companies
who start early. One of the reasons is that improved communication is by
its
very
nature empowering. But in addition, the rapid development of new
networks
here
would open up substantial export opportunities, in the provision of
material,
services and content.
Many thousands of jobs can be created by sound and early investment in
broadband communication, as the recent House of Commons Trade and
Industry
Select Committee Report demonstrated. This will only happen, however, if
we
consciously seek to maximise the opportunities for British companies and
employees. This will require a positive role from Government; Labour
intends
to
provide it.
Effectively, there are two options: either Britain becomes the knowledge
capital of
Europe - assisted by the great strength derived from the global reach of
the
English language - or we stagnate as an electronic sweatshop.
There will be a major impact on employment: around 80% of all jobs
created
in
Europe in the past five years have been connected with the processing of
information. It is estimated that annual growth in telecommunications
traffic will be
in double-digit figures in the early part of the next century. This is a
chance that
must be seized and developed.
Some of the changes which herald the information society are already
happening.
The nature of both manufacturing and service sectors of the economy is
already in
transition. Banking, for example, is increasingly being transformed from
a
branch-based structure to one based on automated teller machines,
multi-media
access points, and home banking.
Computer-aided design is becoming commonplace in a wide variety of
manufacturing processes. Rapidly available sales information is
revolutionising the
ordering and stocking work of the retail sector.As the pace of change
accelerates, success in the information industries will be vital to
Britain's
economic regeneration.
The effect will be particularly beneficial for small and medium-sized
enterprises.
Much of the available work, in software and in content, will be
appropriate
to this
sector. And the prospect of being able to cut down substantially on
bureaucratic
paperwork through the use of electronic communication - ranging from the
Inland
Revenue to the Export Credit Guarantee Board - will relieve many small
businesses of unnecessary administrative burdens.
Government will need to make a conscious decision to facilitate this
process. It
must grasp the opportunity to introduce new technology and electronic
data
interchange into the public sector, increasing the efficiency of
government,
helping
to boost home-based industries through procurement policies, and
securing
better
value for money from the substantial resources currently devoted to
information
technology.
There are also substantial opportunities for us in the development of
mobile
wireless access to interactive networks. Britain's strong position at
present in the
design and manufacture of mobile phones and components for the
infrastructure
needed to support them makes us well placed to exploit the embryonic
technology of mobile interactivity.
Whether it is a GP wanting to check drug details before writing a
house-call
prescription, or a surveyor calling up information held miles away in
the
office, the
ability to use advanced communication on the move will become very
valuable
indeed. Various European Union programmes are currently looking at some
of
these developments; we believe that Britain should be giving
wholehearted
encouragement to the work.
Patterns of employment will however change, as new technologies replace
old
products or services with new, and reduce costs by reducing the amount
of
labour
required. New employment will, however, come from the provision of
interpretative
and explanatory services - building "added value" into the availability
of
raw data.
And if the export possibilities are realised, then further employment
will
be
generated. We should not assume that employment benefits will flow
without
doing anything actively to ensure that this occurs.
Overall, we believe that the information revolution will have a
beneficial
impact on
employment. Government must, however, assist this process of generating
and
sustaining employment. So, we propose a skills foresight exercise to
anticipate changing skills and retraining needs, and to help minimise
the
human and economic costs arising from change, as set out in the
proposals contained in our policy document, A New Economic Future for
Britain.
Developing programmes for lifelong learning will be crucial in this.
Portability of
learning and skills will be important, but so too will the broader
education
needed
to ensure that people not only take advantage of existing innovations,
but
are also
able to contribute to their development, and thus to further job
creation.
Our
Education Team is developing policies for lifelong learning which will
have
a direct
impact on these needs.
The proposals Labour has already advanced for the creation of a
University
for
Industry - bringing education and training to the workplace, through the
use
of
interactive technology - will also be vital in developing new skills for
a
new
economic age. The growth of new networks both increases the need for
learning
and training of this kind, and also provides the means to achieve it in
cost-effective
fashion.
Getting the Infrastructure in place
We believe that the physical infrastructure of the new communications
networks
will and must be developed by the private sector. The competitive and
regulatory
environment will therefore be crucial in influencing how it evolves.
Labour will wish to encourage the most rapid possible development of the
new networks, using all the strengths of the individuals and companies
operating in the UK. And we shall wish to ensure that opportunities to
use
the new infrastructure are equitably spread throughout the whole
community.
Our fundamental aim must be to see a truly nationwide network developed,
as
rapidly as possible. Some of this network will make use of fibre-optic
cable.
Some, especially in remoter and more rural areas, will use radio or
micro-wave
forms of communication.
We envisage that there will be a variety of different providers of
infrastructure, in
some areas in competition, in others perhaps standing alone. British
Telecom, the
Cable Television Companies, and other telephony providers, should all in
due
course be able to compete.
There may also be specifically local network providers, based in the
local
business community or arising from local authority partnership
initiatives.
The
crucial need is to ensure that the whole country is covered, and that
all
systems
are able to link to each other.
At present, the dominant telecommunications operator, BT, faces
uncertainties
over future revenues from entertainment, through the operation of the
so-called
"asymmetry rule" prohibiting them from providing broadcast entertainment
over
their telephone wires on a national basis until a review takes place
with a
possible
change in 2001.
Whilst we appreciate the substantial investment which is now being
undertaken in
their franchise areas by the cable companies, and wish to ensure that a
reasonable opportunity for a return on that investment is provided, our
aim
is to
achieve in due course a fully competitive market.
We bear in mind, also, that British Telecom is well-placed to finance
high-capacity
infrastructure nationwide, and has close links to the UK components
supply
industry.
We believe there is therefore a strong case for ending the uncertainty
currently
affecting BT and other telephony providers, and making explicit the
timetable for
them to enter the entertainment market.
We conclude that the proposal advanced by the Trade and Industry Select
Committee, for a rolling programme of entry into the cable franchise
areas
beginning in 1998, is the best basis to achieve this. We believe that
this
would protect the legitimate interests of the cable companies
themselves,
while providing certainty for BT and others, and ensuring a proper
competitive environment for the benefit of the consumer. We would also
propose, in accordance with the Select Committee, that full and open
competition be permitted everywhere from 2002.
In return for ending the present uncertainty for telephony operators, we
would
expect a commitment from them to a specific timetable of provision. In
particular, we would require from BT and others that they establish a
clear
programme of provision of broadband communication links that will
ensure, over time, that the whole country - as far as is practicable -
is
reached.
Correspondingly, a transparent regulatory framework for Universal
Service
and
Interconnection is required - applying to all operators on a fair and
equal
basis - in
order to promote competitive, efficient and rapid infrastructure
development.
We believe it is also important to secure international co-operation in
opening up
communications markets to competition. The European Commission has been
vigorous in trying to address some of Europe's existing weaknesses
through
pre-competitive research and development programmes and regulatory
measures.
It has, however, been hampered by the attitudes and behaviour of some
governments.
The UK should support the direction of the European Union in trying to
create a
modern, competitive European communications infrastructure, including
the
adoption of Europe-wide standards for digital broadcasting, and the
development of
an open and seamless environment of fair competition.
In the United States, besides advocating a National Information
Infrastructure,
Vice-President Al Gore is also promoting a Global Information
Infrastructure
to
improve communications and education throughout the world. This is a
far-sighted
initiative which deserves a positive British response.
Nevertheless neither the USA nor some EU member states have been
prepared to
grant reciprocal access to their own markets. We therefore conclude that
the
UK should be explicit about the access to US markets that British
companies require, in the light of the licences granted to American
companies to offer cable television and telephony services here.
Vice-President Gore has indicated, at the recent G7 summit, that he is
sympathetic to this point of view. We also believe that the UK should be
prepared to bargain strongly with other European member states about the
freedom for British companies to operate in their countries.
Regulating for Fair Competition
The domestic regulatory framework must also be put firmly in place in
order
to
address the new interactive multimedia world. Regulation is needed for
two
primary purposes.
The first is economic: to ensure fair competition in newly opened-up
telecommunications markets, and to ensure fair use of scarce resources
such
as
broadcast spectrum.
The second is for consumer protection: the current regulatory regime has
had
some success in reducing prices to consumers and considerable success in
encouraging the restructuring of BT, but there is still much that must
be
done to
champion the consumer's interests and entitlements.
Regulation is, however, only part of the picture. We believe there
should
be more effective laws against anti-competitive behaviour.
As broadcasting and telecommunications increasingly merge into each
other,
without clear boundaries between the two activities, it is no longer
sensible to
separate regulation for both along "industry" lines.
At present, the Independent Television Commission (ITC) regulates
commercial
television provision and Oftel regulates telecommunications. We suggest
that
it
would be more appropriate to split the regulatory focus between the
provision and
management of the infrastructure on the one hand, and the provision of
content
and information on the other.
For both television and telephony, therefore, we propose to replace
existing structures with an 'Ofcom' to regulate the whole communications
infrastructure and ensure fair competition, and a revamped ITC to
regulate
content provision (both in terms of pure information and in terms of
cultural product), albeit with a light touch.
The regulatory focus would accordingly be split horizontally rather than
vertically,
between the provision and management of infrastructure - including
virtual
networks, on the one hand, and the provision of content and information
on
the
other.
While we want to ensure universal access for consumers, we also want to
insist on universal open access for the producers of information and the
providers of services. Competitive delivery of content and services
along
the networks should be based on the American 'any to any' principle.
Ownership of the infrastructure must not permit restriction of others in
seeking
-with a fair and transparent rental being paid - to use the network to
disseminate
particular content. Gatekeepers must not be able to restrict access to
their
networks or their customers; and if they are vertically integrated they
will
have to
convince the regulator that they are not discriminating against
competing
content
providers.
Whether such discrimination is occurring should be judged on a case by
case
basis by the regulator, but -especially in cases of monopoly control - a
clear
distinction (by transparent accounting) must be made between
infrastructure
and
content provision.
We would also wish the regulator to take action over anti-competitive
exclusive deals established between a content providers and a particular
network owner. In the same way that a bookshop can request a book from a
publisher, so a network should be able to request a particular content
package - at
a reasonable price - if it has also been offered elsewhere.
Labour's Trade and Industry Team is currently considering the future of
regulation
more generally, and in particular is consulting on ways in which the
present
regulatory bodies can become more publicly accountable and transparent.
Any
such proposals would of course apply to the new system of communications
regulation we propose.
Content of the Communications Networks
The new communications networks will succeed or fail because of their
content. People do not buy wires; they buy programmes, services and
information. It is all the more deplorable, therefore, that the
Government
has
relegated content to the secondary status it is accorded in the DTI
paper
Building
the Highways of the Future.
Labour, in contrast, will give infrastructure and content equal
priority.
The new
networks must be a place where demanding consumers and creative
suppliers
meet. Our goal must be to ensure that consumers have access, as they
decide
and choose, to content of high quality and at affordable cost, supplied
by a
dynamic market and by efficient public services. Government can and must
facilitate this aim.
Consumers are of course not only the recipients of information in the
new
networks; they are generators and exchangers of information as well. We
believe
Government should intervene as little as possible in content creation
and
regulation. We would seek to set a framework within which companies and
consumers, public services and citizens, could exchange content as they
chose.
This facilitating role from Government would require action in four
areas:
universal
access, competitiveness, copyright law, and free speech.
It will also require a constant ability for the enabling regulatory
framework we
envisage to keep pace with the rapid advance of technology in this
field. As
technology changes, so must the regulatory response, in a flexible and
sophisticated way. The overall goal of governmental policy, however,
must
remain
the same: the empowerment of people as consumers and users of the new
networks.
Accessibility
Labour wants everyone to share in the benefits of the information
society.
For
consumers, this is partly achieved by ensuring the nationwide approach
to
infrastructure provision we have outlined above. It is also partly
achieved
by
ensuring that effective competition drives down prices and over time
makes
the
acquisition of equipment and the payment of on-line charges more
affordable.
But
we acknowledge that there will always be those who cannot afford to link
their own
home into the communications networks, and we must ensure that such
people
do not become "information-poor" and sharply discriminated against as a
result.
This is why we set out in 10.2 below our proposals for ensuring that
schools,
hospitals, and other public service organisations are linked in to the
networks.
It is important to ensure that access is available to those - including
women and
those from ethnic minority communities - who are often excluded from
networking
at present.
We also envisage a range of different public access points becoming
available - and we would wish to explore the possibility of financing
these
through public/private partnerships. In particular, private sector
organisations
might finance terminals or a particular service in return for the
pulling-power that
they might have for the provider of the facility.
The cornerstone of this public access network will be the public
library:
still a
storehouse of books and knowledge, a school for life for everyone, but
now
in the
twenty-first century also to be the hub of the new interactive networks.
We
believe
it is imperative that anyone who cannot link themselves into the
information
society at home should be able to go into their public library -or
perhaps
in some
areas their village hall - and do it there.
Some local authorities are already well advanced in this, and many are
already
choosing to make use of information technology in their libraries and
public
buildings. But we will insist that the providers of the infrastructure
automatically put a feed into every public library in the area they are
covering.
We believe that as well as having access to screens and communications
through
the public library, individuals should be able to rent e-mail addresses
there. This
service is currently available through Cyberia, the Internet Cafe, and
similar
innovative organisations, but should be available - as cheaply as
possible -
to
citizens throughout the country. We would also wish to encourage network
providers to develop schemes to make the use of their systems more
affordable for the general public.
The idea of widespread access points for public information has already
been
tested with enormous success in Iowa, where the links provided to
county,
state
and federal authorities have proved not only extremely popular but also
very
useful.
As well as the need for physical access to the networks, it is also
important to
facilitate psychological access. Many people are afraid of the
technology
and only
a relatively small number have the ability at present to use it
extensively.
We
should be encouraging the providers to make access easy, through TV
remote controls with which everyone is familiar, and by ensuring that
information programmes are not dry but fun.
Touch-screen techniques and other easy-to-use tools will help to ensure
that
the
new networks are available to everyone, and not daunting to a great
majority
of the
population. It has taken years for many people to learn how to pre-set
their
video
recorders; and this is hardly surprising, given the complexity of the
operation on
many machines. We do not wish to see the same problem developing with
the
use of new interactive technology.
Access for Providers
We set out in the third and fourth sections above how we aim to ensure
that
there
is open access to the networks for the providers of information and of
services.
This is particularly important, given the strength of British companies
already in
these fields.
Britain has some of the most enterprising, innovative and successful
media
companies in the world. They must be given access to consumers and new
technologies to make the most of the new opportunities. The universal
access
for
consumers and producers suggested here would extend the benefits of the
information society, both by kick-starting the content creation that has
held the
cable revolution back and spreading that content's reach beyond the
economically
affluent in urban areas.
Until recently, the satellite and cable revolutions have not provided
much
domestically-based programme-making in Britain. A fairer competition
environment
for content provision will help to stimulate local programme-making; and
there will
be considerable first-mover advantages for countries that develop
content
earlier
than their competitors.
Our approach to the regulation of media industries generally will be
based
on a
number of clear principles: diversity of content, plurality of
ownership,
regional
strength, and quality of programme-making. Avoiding dominance by any one
provider, and ensuring that ownership of a gateway cannot be used to
create
bottlenecks, will help to secure those principles. We shall also wish to
encourage
broadcasters to provide local channels.
Britain's creative skills can be world-class. As the National Heritage
Select
Committee identified in its recent report on the British film industry,
there are
already concerns about future skill shortages in the media industries.
Labour will work with industry training bodies, the European Commission,
TECs and local authorities to focus on more suitable training that
combines
skills for audio-visual production and computing and multi-media
authoring. We support the recommendations of the Select Committee that
film training should include training in computer and new technologies.
Just as important, courses should include the development of the
marketing and production skills that will bridge the gap between
creativity
and commercial success.
Copyright
Protection of copyright will be essential to facilitate content
provision on
the new
networks. As in other areas, the aim of copyright law is to deepen
society's
library
of knowledge by rewarding content creators with exclusive rights.
We recognise that the extension of copyright to electronic networks -
which
we
believe to be essential - may be controversial for some users of
existing
systems,
particularly the Internet. However, without an effective copyright
framework,
content creation on the networks will be discouraged, penalising
artists,
researchers, companies and ultimately users.
There must therefore be a proper legal mechanism for securing copyright
to
electronic material, and charging for its use. This should not, of
course,
limit the
use of the Internet as at present, allowing for full freedom of
expression;
copyright
should run alongside such freedom, and should not inhibit it.
We are particularly concerned about the potential evasion of copyright
in
the
transmission and subsequent copying of music across the new networks.
The
development of potential piracy stations like the "celestial jukebox"
could
pose a
serious threat to the whole music industry in Britain.
We therefore propose that the definition of issuing copies in existing
copyright law be specifically extended to include digital distribution
through the new electronic networks.
As is the case with paper material, and the "fair use" rules that permit
limited legal
photocopying of copyrighted artefacts, so there must be some provision
for a
right
to copy under similar terms across the electronic media. This would of
course be
particularly important for educational and scientific purposes.
Copyright enforcement will be no more watertight on the new networks
than it
is
for compact discs or books today. Instead of perfect solutions, we need
protection
that is adequate and effective enough for content providers to feel safe
putting their
creative work onto the networks.
Complex legal and technical solutions will need to develop, and to adapt
as
technology changes. Labour will therefore establish a small legal
advisory
panel to find these solutions. An urgent report on pre-emptive immediate
changes to primary legislation will be requested from the panel,
followed
by a longer term watching brief to identify changes that might be
required
in the light of case law.
Copyright law must also match the global reach of the new technologies.
We
need
greater copyright harmonisation than has so far been achieved by the
Bern
Convention or the Treaty of Rome or European directives.
The UK should take a leading role in enacting the necessary
international
agreements within the European Union and, together with the United
States,
on
the international stage, particularly within the World Intellectual
Property
Organisation.
We believe that governments generally should foster a culture where
intellectual
property is seen to have fundamental social and economic value and where
illicit
copying is felt to be as serious a crime as other forms of robbery.
Information-rich
economies like the UK can only benefit from such a shift.
As one step towards this goal, we suggest that it might be possible to
request company auditors (as happens to an extent in Italy) to look at
the
status of software systems in a company when carrying out the annual
audit.
Freedom of Speech
One of the great attractions of the new networks is that they allow
freedom
of
speech. Already, organisations like Greennet and Poptel in the UK are
using
the
Internet to gather information and communicate with supporters. Labour
welcomes this extension of freedom of speech and would be wary of any
censorship that restricted it.
But freedom of expression carries with it special responsibilities. The
right to free
speech must be balanced by the right of others to be protected from
harm.
The
United Nations Covenant on Civil and Political Rights recognizes that
some
restrictions on freedom of speech are permissible but stresses that
these
must be
"necessary" and "provided in law".
As elsewhere, this means that restrictions must be for a defined
legitimate
purpose, and must not exceed that purpose. Labour would limit
governmental
intervention to these defined legitimate purposes: action against
incitement to racial hatred, action to protect minors, and action
against
criminal activity such as money laundering that would be illegal
elsewhere. The protection of children, from activities such as
paedophilia
rings, will be particularly important.
Labour welcomes the current policy of self-regulation by some network
operators,
such as in JANET and SuperJANET. Where statutory regulation is
necessary,
the
public must have confidence in the openness and accountability of the
regulator,
as described in paragraph 4.5 above. And once network operators have
demonstrated that it is possible to allow parents to have control over
access to
sensitive material by young children, we would extend the ITC's decision
to
exclude video-on-demand from watershed requirements to the new networks.
It is important that privacy is rigorously protected over the new
networks,
for both
personal and commercial reasons. We do not accept the "clipper chip"
argument
developed in the United States for the authorities to be able to swoop
down
on any
encrypted message at will and unscramble it.
The only power we would wish to give to the authorities, in order to
pursue
a
defined legitimate anti-criminal purpose, would be to enable decryption
to
be
demanded under judicial warrant (in the same way that a warrant is
required
in
order to search someone's home).
Attempts to control the use of encryption technology are wrong in
principle,
unworkable in practice, and damaging to the long-term economic value of
the
information networks. There is no fundamental difference between an
encrypted file
and a locked safe. A safe may be effectively impregnable in that the
effort
taken to
open it would destroy the contents. An encryption algorithm, similarly,
may
be
effectively unbreakable.
Furthermore, the rate of change of technology and the ease with which
ideas
or
computer software can be disseminated over the Internet and other
networks
make technical solutions unworkable. Adequate controls can be put in
place
based around current laws covering search and seizure and the disclosure
of
information. It is not necessary to criminalise a large section of the
network-using
public to control the activities of a very small minority of
law-breakers.
In all other areas, privacy must be rigorously protected, particularly
in
the light of
the potential for secondary, micro-marketing on the new networks. The
Data
Protection Act already applies to personal information held in relation
to
computerised services and providers should be aware of their
responsibilities
under the Act. We would wish to consult with the Registrar to ensure
that
the
provisions of the Act provide adequate protection for new digital
services.
As long as sources were only traced when specific legal permission for
defined
reasons had been given, and this process were openly monitored, we
believe
the
arrangements set out above would provide the most appropriate balance
between
freedom of speech and freedom from harm.
Ensuring Social Use
The information society can create enormous opportunities for economic,
social
and democratic regeneration. It can help to make our society more open
and
accessible. It can empower people in a world where, increasingly,
knowledge
is
the source of power. Yet there is also a danger that the information age
will
produce not interacting communicating citizens but alienated and
atomised
individuals living their lives through a screen at home, with a "big
brother" state
holding vast international databanks on every individual.
Technology has the power to empower and free individuals and enrich
their
communication with the state; it also has the power to become an
oppressive
and
divisive tool creating new classes of information rich and poor. Labour
will
ensure
that the information society is liberating, not alienating.
In this context, we believe it is important to ensure that the new
networks
are not
just mechanisms for improving business to business communication,
important
though that objective is. Nor should they just be about the delivery of
more
and
better targeted home entertainment.
It is also vital that we seek the best possible social uses for the new
interactive
technologies. To this end, we shall insist that the providers of the
networks
lay a two-way broadband feed into every public library, every school,
every health centre, every hospital and every Citizens' Advice Bureau.
The extra marginal cost whilst laying the infrastructure is outweighed
heavily by
the social value - and the future commercial value from more confident
users
- of
doing this. Most of the cable companies have already, in fact, given a
commitment
to put a line into every school they pass. This is welcome, and we would
hope to
see the commitment extended further.
Many local authorities - such as Newham, Cambridge, Leeds, Gateshead and
Manchester - have already been developing community-based initiatives.
In
Manchester six electronic village halls have been established as part of
a
city-wide
project, providing community centres which contain high-tech resources
aimed
at
people working from home, community groups and small businesses.
They also give training, computer hire and business support, helping
people
acquire skills, gain access to information, and find employment. In
Newham
the
"ATTACH" project will use multimedia information kiosks to provide
public
access
to a wide range of services. This provides a good model for the sort of
public
access network we would wish to see developed nationally.
In Gateshead, the Borough Council provides a teletext service on the
local
cable
channel providing details of what's on at theatres and community
centres,
together
with information about council activities, sports events, job vacancies,
and
volunteer placements.
We wish to see the development of pilot projects to provide information
and
advice
for parents seeking work, such as the scheme that is already under way
in
Cambridge. Such pilot projects could lead in time to the development of
a
Childcare Net, which would provide interactive computers in public
places
for parents with children who want to go back to work.
They would give parents information about job opportunities, benefits,
childcare
and training options, and collect information about demand and about
obstacles
faced. Our Employment Team are examining the prospects for
public/private
partnership to establish such pilot projects.
New interactive technologies can be of particular benefit to disabled
people,
enabling them to seek employment when they might not otherwise have the
opportunity.
There are other benefits that can come, too: the Gateshead local channel
broadcasts the talking newspaper three times a day. Plymouth Further
College
has developed some innovative initiatives. And the development of
greater
access
to video telephone links for deaf people is long overdue.
Labour will consult organisations representing disabled people to
establish how best to make progress on these issues. One suggestion is
for
a public/private partnership along the lines of the 'Motability'
transport
initiative.
Health care will be one of the services that benefits substantially from
interactive
communications technology. Teleconferencing could be used to assist
surgery,
or
to tap into the advice and knowledge of an expert many miles away. The
ability of
GPs to transmit vital patient information, immediately, at critical
times
could have
life-saving implications.
Teleworking
The information society will also boost the scope for "teleworking" -
enabling
people to work for all or part of the week at or near home, linked to
their
firm by
electronic networks.
High capacity communication links allow workers to obtain the
information
they
need without being physically present at the office, including by having
video
conferencing links with colleagues.
In some areas networking centres, or "electronic village halls" can be
set
up,
providing a pool of sophisticated telecommunications equipment so that
local
people can work with major companies. There are obvious advantages here
for
people living in rural areas with difficult transport links, and for
those
living at home
with childcare responsibilities, and for those who wish to have more
flexible
patterns of work.
After the Los Angeles earthquake two years ago, when the surface
transport
systems had completely collapsed, some 700,000 people turned almost
overnight
to working from home; and now that the debris has all been cleared away
they
are
continuing to work from home at least for part of the week: they find it
more
convenient, and their employers find it more productive.
The growth of teleworking does however pose some dangers as well. The
history
of homeworking in this country is riddled with examples of exploitation
and
maltreatment. Reduced opportunities for social interaction, and the
possible
sense
of isolation this may cause, could be countered by the existence of
office-based
training schemes, regular employee feedback meetings, and central
recreational
facilities.
To ensure that teleworking operates to the widest benefit, we propose
that
the protection of teleworkers should be addressed by a code of practice,
established by consultation between government agencies, employers'
federations, trade unions and voluntary organisations.
This teleworking code of conduct could have a similar status to the ACAS
codes of practice. We would also wish to bring pressure to bear on the
European Commission to amend the relevant employment protection
directives to provide greater protection for teleworkers.
Education
In many ways it will be in education that the greatest potential uses
for
the new
networks will emerge. Already there is a substantial amount in place,
with
203
higher education institutions and teaching hospitals connected to the
Joint
Academic Network (JANET) and its successor SuperJANET.
The pioneering work of the Open University, founded by a Labour
Government
in
1969, and which initially relied on paper-based materials supplemented
by
television broadcasts and meetings with tutors, is now exploiting new
technology
to encourage student-to-tutor conversation and student-to-student
discussion.
However, the lack of bandwidth in present Internet technology is a
severely
restricting factor for interactive video and other network-intensive
applications. The
potential of broadband technology to transform these networks is
enormous.
Schools and colleges are less well-equipped. Although the Government
reports
that there is one computer for every eighteen primary schoolchildren,
and
one for
every ten secondary school- children, there are wide variations in the
provision of
computers in schools.
More than 50% of the computers that the Government included in the
pupil-computer ratio are more than six years old and probably obsolete.
Moreover,
this year sees the end of special ear-marking of funds for IT equipment,
and
leaves
it to schools to define their own priorities. We anticipate that our
schools
will be
less well-equipped in two years' time than they are at present. Labour
in
government would hope to persuade companies to donate or sponsor
equipment.
One of the Government's mistakes has been to put money primarily into
schools'
hardware, without a matching investment in software or in the training
of
teachers.
The Department for Education (DfE) themselves admit that 46% of
secondary
teachers and 28% of primary teachers have little or no awareness
training.
It is
important that networked computers are introduced into schools in a
structured
manner, coupled with appropriate training, so that their full potential
is
realised.
We will ensure that appropriate changes are made to teacher-training
courses and to continuing professional development for teachers, so
that,
over time, this can be achieved.
Meanwhile a number of unco-ordinated, disparate initiatives are being
developed,
but without any overall coherence. The "Schools On-Line Project" is a
small
medium-band initiative being promoted by the DTI. BT is extending its
"Campus
2000" scheme to 3000 schools to include restricted Internet access. And
the
DfE
has issued a consultation document on the possible role of broadband
communication. This last initiative is long overdue.
We believe that open learning, as practised by the Open University, will
become a
much more common form of learning. It is demonstrably a cost-effective
way
of
providing higher education. Schools will take on new roles as open
learning
and
resource centres for the whole community.
As well as providing the school-based education which our children need,
they will
also become libraries, tutorial centres, guidance clinics and sources of
inspiration.
Parents should be helped to steer their children through a learning
programme
directed towards their needs, whilst teachers become the assessors of
that
need
and the creator of the programmes which will help children derive the
maximum
opportunities from the materials available. Labour will encourage the
development
of schools in this way.
We will also wish to see schools developing as a local computing and
communications resource for their community, offering services, training
and guidance to local businesses and firms, and making training courses
available commercially. Not only would this help to establish the school
as
a
real focal point for the area; it would also enable funds to be
generated to
facilitate
the purchase of up-to-date computers, software packages, and interactive
links for
mainstream educational use.
We will encourage partnerships of this kind between schools and
businesses,
to
establish learning centres for the community: the MESH project already
under
way in Merseyside is an excellent example of what can be done.
Similarly, higher and further education institutions should become
centres
for
community learning too. Employees will wish to update their skills and
qualifications periodically, and employers should be able to look to the
local
university or college to provide some of this training.
Higher and further education institutions should become "centres of
expertise"
whose intellectual resources can be drawn on by national and
international
businesses. The Business Information Centres which are being equipped
with sophisticated computer and video-conferencing facilities, using DTI
funding, should be automatically linked into the JANET and SuperJANET
networks in order to facilitate this. We would wish to encourage higher
education institutions to work together on producing educational
materials
for network use.
Where a local authority has already made an investment in a network
'server',
every school covered by the authority should be given the opportunity to
link up to
the server, which will initially provide administrative information and
the
facility for
schools, teachers and governors to exchange ideas and disseminate good
practice.
Local authority servers would provide the necessary gateway to the
national
information infrastructure and they themselves will need to communicate
with
each
other, with the DfE, and with other national bodies.
As part of their school inspection and improvement work, the DfE should
draw
up
an audit of international, national and locally available content and
value-added
services of relevance to schools; the results should be related to a
similar
audit of
schools' needs.
All new school buildings, and those where substantial refurbishment is
being
carried out, should have high-capacity ducted cabling installed,
configured
as a
local area network, as part of the standard building regulations. This
would
save
unnecessary expenditure at a later date.
At present, many schools fear that the use of telephone lines to provide
Internet
communication is likely to be prohibitively expensive; and for
cash-strapped
schools services need to be both cheap and predictable.
Stable and affordable charges for access to the networks for schools and
educational establishments should be established by network providers as
soon as possible. If it were possible to make some educational use of
the
networks available free of charge, this would of course be even better.
Labour has one particular proposal to ensure that the great storehouses
of
knowledge and material that we possess in this country are made readily
available
to our schools and libraries.
A Labour Government will encourage the national museums and galleries
to apply for funds from the Millennium Fund in order to establish a
Millenium Archive, whose task will be to put into digital form -
initially
on
CD-Rom, but subsequently on-line - many parts of our great collections
of
national significance.
These could include those of the British Library, the Science Museum,
the
British
Museum, the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Tate Gallery, the Museum of
Natural History, the National Portrait Gallery, the great University and
city
museums around the country, and others.
The task should be completed if at all possible by the turn of the
century;
and the
material should then be made available free to every school and public
library. A
school pupil, no matter where he or she may be, can then walk into their
school or
public library, sit down at a screen, and have access to the greatest
collections in
the land.
In conjunction with this project, we would also wish to explore with the
British Library the establishment of a multi-media centre - using both
Lottery and private funds - at the northern end of the St Pancras site,
linked in to schools around the country.
British educational broadcasting is probably the best in the world; and
we
believe
that this is a strength that must be built on. The BBC in particular has
considerable experience and expertise, and provides educational
programmes
free
at the point of use.
Labour strongly supports the continuation of the licence fee as the
mainstream
funding support for the BBC, and in the light of this will wish to see
at
very least
the basic educational service continue to be free. There are also,
however,
substantial opportunities for the development and marketing of education
through
new media networks around the world.
The BBC - linked with the Open University, other universities and the
British Council - is well placed to take advantage of these. We would
wish
to give strong encouragement to such initiatives. In particular, we
propose
enabling the BBC to make the most of commercial opportunities to join up
with others for global projects, providing of course that there is no
risk
to
the licence-funded activities of the Corporation.
Democracy
As the new networks develop into the universally accessible, interactive
service we
wish to see, it could bring fundamental enhancement to the democratic
process
itself. We do not support a move towards instant electronic plebiscites
because
we value the processes of reasoning and discussion and reflection
inherent
in
representative democracy.
We believe however that technology can improve the UK's system of
representative democracy by streamlining the flow of information from
government,
by making decision-takers more accountable, and by enhancing the
opportunities
for citizens to contribute to political decisions. This, together with a
Freedom of
Information Act, could reinvigorate local government and inform public
interest in
national government.
Parliament in particular should be setting an example to the rest of the
country by
embracing the new technology and using it to enhance communication with
the
electorate. This is an integral part of Labour's commitment to
democratic
reform
and to empowering citizens.
We will make sure that every Government department uses the new
information networks to provide citizens with information, quickly and
cheaply, and to allow a greater degree of input from interested groups
and
individuals than has hitherto been possible.
The Tories' efforts to make government more accessible have amounted to
the
publication of a series of papers and documents on the Internet, but
with
little
opportunity for interactivity.
Labour will develop a national strategy to make government more
responsive and accessible through electronic communication. A
comprehensive range of information should be available, including
legislative proceedings, parliamentary questions, Ministerial statements
and speeches, and government consultation documents.
We would wish to provide a means for citizens to register their comments
on
electronic bulletin boards and other feedback mechanisms in response. We
would
also encourage local authorities, where possible, to adopt the same
approach.
We commend the European Commission's recent initiative "Building the
Information Society in the European Regions" and welcome the choice of
the
North West of England as one of the six European regions chosen to take
part
in
this project, the aim of which is to promote universal access to the
opportunities
and advantages of the information society.
We would encourage other European regions to work together to share
ideas
and
develop strategies for research and greater integration of information
networks.
Internationally, the new electronic networks have the potential to cut
across
international divisions by facilitating quick, cheap and easy
communication
between individuals. we should always remember, however, that half the
people in
the world have never made a phone call.
A Labour Government will work with the International
Telecommunications Union to ensure that the economic and social rights
of citizens the world over are enhanced by the new networks, and that
technological developments are used to erode divisions rather than
create
them.
We need, for example, to make sure that our aid and development policies
help
with the imaginative deployment of new technology initiatives, to assist
the
poorest areas of the globe.
Conclusion
Economic Growth
1 An explicit timetable should be set for BT and others to enter into
competition
with cable companies, based on the DTI Select Committee proposals.
2 We would bargain strongly with the United States and European Union
for
reciprocal free access for UK companies to compete abroad.
3 We recommend legislation against anti-competitive behaviour.
4 We propose a new regulatory regime for both telecommunications and
broadcasting, split between infrastructure provision and content.
Access
5 We would expect from BT and others a programme of work to ensure that
broadband communication links cover, in time, the whole country.
6 We believe a range of public access points should be provided by local
authorities and others, making use of franchising and public/private
partnerships.
7 The cornerstone of the public access network should be the public
library,
reinvented for an electronic age.
Education and Skills
8 We would encourage well-focused training in media skills linking
audiovisual,
computing and multimedia work.
9 Teacher training and retraining courses should assist in the
structured
introduction of networked computers into schools.
10 New schools and those undergoing substantial refurbishment should
have
high
capacity ducted cabling installed as part of building regulations.
11 We wish to see schools becoming a learning and training resource for
local
businesses and the local community.
12 Business Information Centres should be automatically linked into
their
local
colleges and universities via the JANET and SuperJANET networks.
Social Benefits
13 We would insist that the providers of the networks lay a broadband
feed
into
every public library, school, hospital, health centre and citizens'
advice
bureau.
14 We would encourage local authorities to establish pilot projects
leading
to the
development of a Childcare Net, to help parents with children who want
to go
back
to work.
15 With the increase in teleworking and out-of-the-office communication,
a
new
code of employment practice for teleworkers will need to be developed.
Cultural Life
16 There should be an open access principle for the producers of content
and
of
media services; infrastructure owners should not be able to discriminate
against
particular service providers.
17 A Millenium Archive should be endowed with Millennium funds, to put
much
of
our great national collections into digital form, for free supply to
every
school and
public library in the country.
Freedom of Information
18 We would limit governmental intervention in free speech to
specifically
criminal
activity such as incitement to racial hatred, and ensure that
de-encryption
could
not be requested other than with defined judicial authorisation.
19 We would wish to see an extension of copyright law into the use of
electronic
media; and would promote international discussions on the implications
for
copyright and the dangers of piracy.
Public Awareness
20 We believe that Government green papers should be available for
consultation
electronically, and that government and local authority information
generally
should be more accessible across the new networks.
back to the Internet resource page
Stephen Bostock 6 November 1995