U.K. shells out millions to boost e-gov.

The U.K. government is spending 5 million [pounds sterling] (about $8.6 million U.S.) to persuade the public to use the electronic services that local authorities have spent billions putting in place, according to Silicon.com.

The "Lose the Queues" campaign--to begin in early 2006--is designed to support the efforts of local authorities by highlighting the benefits of accessing council services online, such as flexibility and convenience.

The government claims the United Kingdom is leading the European Union in terms of the sophistication of public authority e-services for citizens, but statistics show it is currently below average in take-up rates.

There is evidence that current usage of council e-channels still lags behind public interest in using them, with about half the adult population of England saying they are interested in using online services.

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