10 Downing Street Webchat

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Method(s) Used

Webchat (Methods)

Name of person who posted the project:

Ali Howes

Location of project:

United Kingdom

Date when the project started:

2007

Date when the project ended/project ongoing:

2007

Background to project:

The Downing Street Website was originally set up purely as a information providing service, but has now develped more interactively. The Webchat facility on the Downing Street Website are used by a range of senior government ministers and officials.
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The webchats allow the general public to pose questions direct to the people who make the decisions which affect their lives.
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Purpose of project:

To get Ministers to repond to questions directly from the public. The public are asked to submit questions prior to the webchat (they are moderated by the Downing Street staff). The webchats are normally timed to coincide with a major event or very topical issue to gain maximum interest.
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The webchats have no direct policy impacts.
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Project activities:

There have been a number of webchats with different ministers on a range of issues:

John Hutton: Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform answered questions on nuclear energy.
David Miliband: Foreign Secretary discussed the foreign policy including Iraq and the EU
Jacqui Smith: Home Secretary took a range of questions on crime, security, policing and immigration
Hilary Benn: answered questions on Africa and international development issues

Project results:

The participants in general enjoyed the interaction with senior ministers, but felt that due to time restraints the discussions were not as in depth as they would have liked.
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The transcripts of all the webchats are available to view online.
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Contact details:

http://www.number-10.gov.uk/output/Page11249.asp
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