Smartcard slowdown makes e-ministers sweat

Blair might not meet his e-targets... shock horror...

Tony Blair's e-government plans look like they're going to be blown off course by the slower than expected uptake of smartcard and digital signature technology in the UK. According to e-envoy Andrew Pinder, such technology is crucial to plans to get government services online, but deployment is so far not as widespread as was originally hoped. According to a report in the Financial Times, Government working groups are expected to produce consultation papers on the matter in the autumn.