The Government's strategy to modernise public services includes a drive to improve the availability and effectiveness of information technology (IT) to both users and deliverers of government services, and local government has a specific role to play. Tasked with the development of new technologies to facilitate the implementation of the varied strategies and initiatives to promote economic, social and environmental wellbeing, the 2005 deadline for all services being available online is fast approaching.

But how are local authorities meeting the challenges set by central government? One local authority that is leading the way in implementing "e-government" is Wandsworth London Borough Council, which spearheads a national e-planning project. Parsol - planning and regulatory services online - is a national project being developed by a consortium of key national organisational and local authorities, which aims to bring together environmental health with trading standards and planning and building control, by delivering a range of regulatory and licensing software products to help local authorities e-enable their services.

I talked to Dave Smith, area environmental health officer and currently seconded full-time to the project from Wandsworth LBC, about the doors that the project is opening and the possibilities that the deliverables will offer environmental health services. Read what he had to say.

Still on the topic of promoting economic, social and environmental wellbeing, Rob Faulkner, who has recently become principal environmental health officer at Liverpool City Council, has been working to integrate health impact assessment as a tool in the regeneration initiatives currently being undertaken in the city. At its heart is a move to create a "culture change" away from the more traditional ways of service delivery.

On a different note, the European Commission's new regulations on genetically modified food and feed and traceability and labelling may present some challenges for enforcement officers, and Nick Warburton looks at the issues a legal framework might throw up.

Finally, the Christmas and New Year period can often place undue and extra stress on people, and we look at some of the challenges enforcement officers face in tackling occupational or work-related stress. However, I hope all our readers have a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year - and if you can, join in our Water for Kids Christmas appeal and help spread a little of that happiness to those less fortunate than ourselves.

Tracey Khanna
Editor