COUNCIL services in part of the region are to be available at the touch of a button or the click of a mouse within the next two years.

A scheme is expected to start in the Hambleton District Council area of North Yorkshire, which should see services electronically available to all by the year 2003.

The digital revolution would see the services accessible around-the-clock, seven days of the week, 365 days of the year.

Local services would eventually be accessible at any time through mobile telephones and digital TVs. Online voting and voter registration would also be available.

By using the high-technology, employees would be able to take advantage of more flexible working arrangements and 90 per cent of all public inquiries could be dealt with at a single point of call.

The council systems would also be linked with other agencies to provide a wider range of services.

The scheme is part of Hambleton's five-year strategy for information and communications technology, which is expected to win approval from councillors when the authority's policy and resources committee meets next week.

"To achieve the new service delivery requires a different approach to the way in which the council is organised and how it uses its information," said the director of financial services, Phillip Morton.

"Most of the elements of the strategy require a corporate, rather than departmental approach, to implementing new systems."

One issue that will be considered carefully by the council's information technology (IT) team is that of social inclusion.

"It is important to ensure that everyone has access to services regardless of their circumstances - and in particular because this is a rural council," said Mr Morton.

Over the next ten years the cost of maintaining the existing infrastructure will be about £1.74m - and to deliver all the additional IT services will cost a further £1.66m