A major survey is being launched into the number and size of local authority websites – in line with the government's digital policy of web rationalisation.

The research aims to provide evidence around the potential benefits of the programme following Cabinet Office reports in October that central government websites had ‘reduced significantly' since it began.

The survey will be carried out by Socitm Insight, the publisher of Better Connected - an annual report on local authority websites. 

A spokeswoman for Socitm Insight said it had long advocated councils prioritising the focus of their websites. She added: ‘Liverpool council have done this and found it had a reduction in the number of phone calls it received as more people found it easier to find what they want on the website.'

Liverpool council started cutting back its web pages after finding 85% of site visits were to just 200 of its 4000 pages.