The UK's e-Government agenda directly leverage the capabilities of XML and other open standards to deliver more effective and efficient government services for both citizens and businesses. At the centre of the UK government's modernisation movement is GovTalk — an industry-endorsed XML specification for government services. Whilst the use of GovTalk is well established, this paper introduces novel and innovative projects that leverage XML in the e-Government space and provides insight into some directional strategy that promises to bring more significant, long-term benefits to fruition.