My Lords, we believe the Government to be supportive of the general concept that all procedures and processes should, where possible, be digitally routed and that the activities of the Government themselves and their dependent functions should encourage people to migrate to the digital world as quickly as possible. I have already picked up enough stick by referring to a form in paper style, which my noble friend Lord Borrie immediately picked up was inappropriate, but I think that he also had in mind that this was redolent of an earlier age of quill pens and ink on forms completed in triplicate and dispatched by pigeon post around various offices, before being collated in compendious storage areas that could be permanently trawled by clerks bound to that paper. I am sorry for the flight of fancy, but it has been a long afternoon.
At the heart of the amendment is a proposal that we should, wherever possible, encourage those for whom the Government are responsible to think digitally. Therefore, the amendment would ask the registrar to centre the work of the IPO and in relation to the design opinions service and all parts of that around a digital platform. The development of all interactions or communications with clients should be digital. The online tools and digital platforms that will be created would be a huge advantage to those operating in this field because they will reduce costs, encourage quick responses and improve the quality of the advice and information exchanged.
The amendment has an impeccable pedigree and a wish to see the Government performing better, and I hope that it will commend itself to the Minister when he responds. I beg to move.