To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many requests for the creation of new websites his Department's Efficiency Board has received since May 2010; what proportion of such requests were granted authorisation; and if he will make a statement.

The coalition Government have kept a very tight rein on the creation of unnecessary central Government websites. In line with the Public Accounts Committee recommendations of 2008, new sites are not approved except when necessary and with explicit permission. Since May 2010, only three new domains have been approved: a single machinery of government change (education.gov.uk), a change of name (for The Children’s Commissioner) and a temporary development site (alpha.gov.uk). The ERG marketing controls, which receive requests on behalf of the Efficiency Board, does not analyse requests for web activity separately and cannot provide the number of requests without incurring disproportionate cost. Good progress is also being made on reducing the number of central Government websites and a list is published quarterly on the Cabinet Office website.