Government dumps email in favour of the fax

The government is apparently having a few teething troubles with the latest technology, following the revelation that email is being dumped from the corridors of power in favour of the good old-fashioned fax machine.

Compatibility problems between departmental email systems have resulted in ministers' electronic memos disappearing into the ether of cyberspace without a trace. Consequently, even the government's e-Ministers, Patricia Hewitt and Alex Allan, have been forced to resort to paper, ink and the trusty fax to communicate with other members of the government.

According to reports, Whitehall intends to update its software in order to overcome this incompatibility, but in the meantime will use more traditional methods to communicate.

Prime Minister Tony Blair recently called a special cabinet meeting to ensure that members are entirely up to speed with electronic commerce. It's not clear whether the PM issued a group email or wrote to each member about the meeting.

The government has been criticised in some quarters for its modest modernisation plans, but it has promised to have all its services Internet-enabled by 2008.

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