Investment in communications technology has fuelled the growth of local authorities across the UK, a new survey has found.

Due to be published on January 11, the annual IT Trends survey from the Society of IT Management will reveal that successful e-government programmes have paved the way for the modernisation of local public services.

Information and communications technology (ICT) departments in councils around the country now have the extra capacity to make significant progress, Socitm’s IT Trends 2006/07 - the Modernisation of Public Services will conclude.

Local authorities will spend an estimated £2.7 billion on ICT in 2006/07, which is less than in 2004, but enough to ensure that Britain receives modern public services that are fit for purpose.

The figures demonstrate that “ICT departments have the capacity and capability to deliver what is required to meet the transformation agenda in local government”, according to Peter Ryder, president of Socitm, the firm that collected the data.

“Moreover, on key transformational issues like customer-centricity and shared services, IT Trends shows that ICT managers have a demonstrably positive and open-minded approach,” he added.

Socitm has been compiling the IT Trends in Local Government survey - which involves all 475 local authorities in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales - each year since 1987.

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