US government appoints digital envoy

The White House has stolen a march on the UK government by appointing an official 'e-envoy'.

Elizabeth Echols, a senior government adviser, has been made executive director of the Electronic Commerce Working Group, an inter-agency taskforce. According to the New York Times, she said her role was to co-ordinate the numerous agencies involved, and claimed that particular attention will be given to consumer protection online, and the creation of a global ecommerce framework.

The UK is still prevaricating on the issue of a digital envoy. Alex Allan, the PM's former private secretary and Britain's high commissioner to Australia, has been linked with the role, as has Patricia Hewitt, who replaced DTI minister, Michael Wills, in the recent reshuffle.

There is speculation that the e-envoy will be given responsibility for both the IT industry and the government's use of IT, but no official announcement has yet been made.

Sources suggest that it's unlikely that Hewitt will head up a specific department for the Internet or ecommerce.