Email traffic between the government and the people is not good enough, according to a report published on Tuesday by national ombudsman Alex Brenninkmeijer.

The ombudsman found that not all government email addresses work. ‘If there’s an email address on the website or letter heading, people must be able to assume that that address is open for traffic,’ he says.
He is also unhappy with the number of disclaimers at the end of emails saying the government accepts no responsibility for the contents. ‘Government departments must ensure the information they send is correct and trustworthy and use protected channels,’ he says.
Government departments should also ensure they tell people how quickly they will react to an email and what other means of contact there are.