Brown to put all Britons online

EVERY person in Britain would get their own personalised website under plans by Gordon Brown to save billions of pounds by creating a paperless state.

Online transactions are proposed for everything from claiming benefits and paying council tax to passport applications.

However, the move, due to be rolled out over the next four years, may put tens of thousands of public sector workers at risk of redundancy.

Union leaders and privacy experts are already warning of major concerns over privacy, data protection and fraud.

Plans to introduce Amazon-style online form-filling are expected to be unveiled by the Prime Minister tomorrow.

Huge savings are expected to be made through the phasing out of call centres and benefits offices, as well as reducing the cost of postal services and telephone calls.

It is hoped personalised websites will be introduced for every person in Britain within a year of the scheme being launched.

A report by accountants PricewaterhouseCoopers for the Cabinet Office estimated that the UK government could save 900 million a year simply by bringing those who don't have access to the internet online.

Jonathan Baume, general secretary of the FDA union which represents senior civil servants, said there were huge potential difficulties.

"You cannot underestimate a whole range of risk factors, including upfront costs, data protection, identity theft and social exclusion, with many people already irritated by online transactions."

Mark Serwotka, general secretary of the Public and Commercial Services Union, said:

"Cutting public services is not only bad for the public who use services, but also the economy."