By Vivienne Russell | 4 August 2011
The government is seeking views on how it can improve its openness and transparency by publishing more public sector information.
Launching an onlineconsultation today, Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude said the UK government wanted to have the most ambitious ‘open data’ programme in the world.
The consultation includes questions on how public service providers can be held to account for publishing data and how ministers can ensure the collection and publication of the most useful information. It also asks how it can make the internal workings of the government and public sector more open.
Maude said: ‘We want to embed this approach throughout the public service and we want to hear from people about how they think we should do this.
‘It is an incredibly brave step for any government to become this open, but this is the approach we want to take in order to create public accountability and efficiency in our services and to drive economic and social growth.’
Maude and business minister Edward Davey also launched a second consultation today. This seeks views on the information policy to be adopted for the planned Public Data Corporation, announced by Maude and Davey in January.
The ministers promised the corporation would provide an ‘unprecedented’ level of easily accessible public information, bringing together government data in a single place. They also said it would help promote economic growth by allowing businesses to, for example, use the data to develop internet applications or help public service providers to identify efficiencies.
Speaking today, Davey said: ‘Now more than ever we need to make the best use of the information and data that we possess to stimulate economic growth.
‘A clear data policy for the new Public Data Corporation is a necessary first step, and we want to hear people’s views.’
