Advisory Panel on Public Sector Information

Today, David Rhind, Peter Wienand, Michael Nicholson, and Keith Dugmore met a group of officials from the French government including:

• Mr Alain Bodon, Inspecteur général des finances,
• Mr Maurice Sportiche, from the General Council for Industry, Energy and technology
• Mr Patrice Platel, from the Secrétariat général du gouvernement (that’s the French “Cabinet Office”)
• Miss Maud Iacomelli, policy officer at the French Embassy
• Mr Benoit Chevalier, Economic Counsellor of the Ambassador.

The purpose of the meeting was to find out about APPSI’s role and the UK’s key issues relating to the re-use of public sector information (PSI) as they are taking forward the French National Plan for Digital Economy, “France Digital 2012”, announced by the government last October, which will require policies to be put in place to enable greater access and re-use of PSI. The group was very much in listening mode and appeared interested to hear the different perspectives from the private and public sectors, issues emerging from the pricing of psi re-use in the UK, and how APPSI’s composition has helped to drive the information agenda forward. Tomorrow, this group will meet with officials from the Office of Public Sector Information.

Today, the Government published The Digital Britain Report, its strategic vision for ensuring that the UK is at the leading edge of the global digital economy. The report provides actions and recommendations to promote and protect talent and innovation in our creative industries, to modernise TV and radio frameworks and support local news, and introduces policies to maximise the social and economic benefits from digital technologies. The Report is one of the central policy commitments in the Government's Building Britain's Future plan and draft legislative programme.

Digital Britain measures include:

• A three-year National Plan to improve Digital Participation
• Universal Access to today's broadband services by 2012
• Next Generation fund for investment in tomorrow's broadband services
• Digital radio upgrade by the end of 2015
• mobile spectrum liberalisation, enhancing 3G coverage and accelerating Next Generation mobile services
• robust legal and regulatory framework to combat Digital Piracy
• support for public service content partnerships
• a revised digital remit for Channel 4
• consultation on funding options for national, regional and local news

In October 2007, the Prime Minister announced a number of constitutional initiatives, including an independent review of the "30 year rule" - the arrangements governing the custody of and access to public records.  The review was chaird by Paul Dacre, Editor in Chief of Associated Newspapers, Sir Joe Pilling, former Permanant Secretary of the Northern Ireland Office, and the historian Professor Sir David Cannadine. The team was supported throughout its work by staff from The National Archives.

The review took evidence from a wide range of organisations and individuals, and examined the history of access to public records. It published its report and recommendations in January 2009.

The government announced its response to the independent review today, having considered the findings of the report and consulted widely with relevant organisations.

Today, the Prime Minister announced the following key changes:

• A reduction in the 30 year rule to 20 years
• The potential broadening of the reach of the Freedom of Information Act
• Exemptions to the 20 year rule will include Royal and Cabinet papers
• Tim Berners-Lee will develop work on Web 3.0 to standardise government websites.

Details of Tim Berners-Lee's appointment.

APPSI's overall response to Ordnance Survey's new business strategy is two-fold:

To welcome and acknowledge the principles underpinning Ordnance Survey's new Business Strategy and their importance in facilitating resolution of one of the longest running and most distracting issues in the public sector information world;

To highlight many of the issues which need to be resolved before any Strategy can be realised and make some constructive comments on these.

See APPSI-response-to-OS-Business-Strategy.pdf (217.72 KB) for details on the key issues emerging from Ordnance Survey's new Business Strategy.

APPSI's overall comments on this consultation are as follows:

• The Impact Assessment (IA) looked generally well-prepared, covering many of the impacts that needed to be measured. The benefits assessment has been undertaken in a conservative manner minimising the risk of optimism.  However, it is important that steps are taken to ensure that the benefits are actually realised.
• We are concerned that Statutory Instruments (SIs), and the IA, may not have recognised that the geographic area relevant to the Directive is wider than the UK – the Directive includes all areas where the UK has or exercises jurisdictional rights.  Hence, for example, it appears to include surrounding sea areas and the atmosphere above them.  The position of other areas, such as the Falklands (and surrounding areas), Gibraltar and the Channel Islands is not clear.
• For clarity, the SIs should note that INSPIRE includes data held on behalf of Public Authorities – thus data collected by the private sector may well be included if it is part of a statutory requirement.
• As a clarification, the Consultation Document should have made clear, in Annex 5 (on Related UK legislation) that the EIR does not require all information to be made available electronically and hence INSPIRE will not apply to such information.
• The underpinning idea of providing better access to information is strongly supported by APPSI; however this approach can easily become over-bureaucratic and expensive so safeguards to avoid this are essential.

See in full APPSI-response-to-INSPIRE-consultation.pdf (87.38 KB)

The highlights of this meeting include:

• A presentation by Michael Fanning, Managing Director of Online Consultants International GmbH on the MICUS EU PSI Re-use study: Assessment of the Re-use of Public Sector Information (PSI) in the Geographical Information, Meteorological Information and Legal Information Sectors (March 2009).
• A presentation by the Shareholder Executive on Ordnance Survey's New Business Strategy.

• 18.05.09-Agenda.doc (102.5 KB)
• Paper 1-04.03.09-Minutes.pdf (160.52 KB)
• Paper 2-micus_report_december2008.pdf (1.95 MB)
• Michael-Fanning-EU Study-presentation.pdf (459.77 KB)
• Shareholder-Executive-presentation.pdf (94.89 KB)
• 18.05.09-APPSI-minutes.pdf (192.42 KB)

The aim of the PSI Directive was to introduce basic conditions to facilitate the re-use of PSI throughout the EU.

The review of the PSI Directive concluded that since its launch in 2003:

• Progress has been made but big barriers still exist
• Commercial re-use of PSI has been allowed
• Monopolies have been broken
• Fair trading conditions have been introduced
• Prices have been decreased
• There is more transparency

The main barriers identified by the review include:

• attempts made by public sector bodies to maximise cost recovery
• competition between public and private sectors
• practical issues hindering re-use, such as the lack of information on available PSI
• the mindset of public sector bodies failing to realise the economic potential of PSI re-use
  

The review recommends that Member States should:

• focus their efforts on full and correct implementation and application of the Directive
• terminate exclusive arrangements
• apply licensing and charging models that facilitate the availability and re-use of PSI
• ensure equal conditions for public sector bodies re-using their own documents and other re-users
• promote quick and inexpensive conflict and resolution mechanisms
  

The review says that the Commission will:

• Closely monitor implementation and application of the Directive
• Scrutinise exclusive arrangements (2009-10) in particular
• Analyse the economic case for marginal cost
• Encourage the exchange of good practices (proactive re-use policies, public tasks, conflict resolution)
• Further review by 2012, accompanied where appropriate by a proposal for amendments to the Directive.
  

See details of EC staff working document

Capita's 6th National Information Sharing Across the Public Sector Conference has been orgainsed to provide high level strategic guidance and practical insight into challenges and solutions of effective data sharing.

The Chair of APPSI, Professor David Rhind CBE, gave the keynote address on Creating Opportunities for Public Sector Information Sharing

• Putting data at the core of public sector organisations
• The benefits of re-use of public sector information
• Creating a culture of good data management

Programme.pdf (419.51 KB)

Data Sharing presentation (8 MB)

HM Treasury published the Operational Efficiency Programme on 21 April.  This contains an announcement relating to the assessment of Trading Funds undertaken by the Shareholder Executive (part of BERR).  As you will see from Box 3.A on page 41, OPSI will provide enhanced oversight and governance to ensure the application of key principles of good practice across the Trading Funds that create significant amounts of information.  Moreover, a new business strategy for Ordnance Survey has been developed (see Box 3.H) which also will ensure easier and simpler access to high-quality information.

Ordnance Survey’s new business strategy

Ordnance Survey’s Minister, Iain Wright has announced its new business strategy today.

The strategy aims to improve ease of access to geographic data and services for both commercial and non-commercial use, whilst also striving to maintain a balance with the need to stimulate innovation in the geographic information market and make data more widely available.  This means that Ordnance Survey will continue to be self-funded and earn revenue by licensing its data, but it will make sure it is easier for customers and other businesses to access its data and services.

The strategy focuses on five key areas:

The enhanced OS OpenSpace service, the digital mapping portal that enables innovators to experiment and develop their ideas for free, will be launched on the 12 May.

The Government has set key milestones for delivery over the next year and the Shareholder Executive and OPSI, in consultation with the Office of Fair Trading, will be regularly reviewing progress. Note: The new strategy will be developed further and implemented over the coming 12 months but the five key areas above are being opened up for comment from Ordnance Survey’s customers and other stakeholders. 

The following government departments and organisations: DCLG, Shareholder Executive, Ordnance Survey, OFT and OPSI have all issued press notices announcing OS’s new business strategy.

These press notices follow up from HM Treasury's OEP announcement earlier in the week.

Today, the Minister of State for Justice Michael Wills announced the appointment of four new members of the Advisory Panel on Public Sector Information. See press release for further details.

APPSI-Press-Release.pdf (60.62 KB)

We are now awaiting reassurance that Royal Mail’s new licensing model will not interfere with long-established use of a dataset which has become part of the national data infrastructure.

See our letter in response to the Postal Address File Consultation.

• PAF-consultation-letter.pdf (78.85 KB)

Today, the Government has published a report called 'Working Together - Public Services on your side' outlining its vision for public services reform.  In his foreword, the Prime Minister, Gordon Brown says the Government "has been much too slow to make use of the enormous democratising power of information."  He adds: "People take it for granted that they will access other people's reviews and ratings before buying something on eBay or Amazon, and yet we do not yet have systematic access to other people's experiences when choosing a GP practice or nursery.  We have clearly got the balance wrong when online businesses have higher standards of transparency than the public services we pay for and support."

The Strategic Government section of the report on page 67 refers to the Power of Information Task Force's vision. It says:

The independent Power of Information Task Force published its report on 2 March.  The report contained 25 challenging recommendations to government aimed at improving the use of information in this new world.  The Task Force's work has been recognised internationally as providing a cutting-edge vision, with examples of what modern public service delivery might be.

The Government welcomes the Task Force's vision, accepts its overall messages and will be responding on the detailed recommendations shortly.  We are already taking steps to implement this vision and in 2009 we will seek to deliver the following:

Open information. To have an effective voice, people need to be able to understand what is going on in their public services. Government will publish information about public services in ways that are easy to find, easy to re-use, and will unlock data, where appropriate, through the work of the Office of Public Sector Information.

Open innovation. We will promote innovation in online public services to respond to changing expectations.  The Government will seek to build on the early success of innovate.direct.gov.uk by building such innovation into the culture of public services and public sector websites.

Open discussion. We will promote greater engagement with the public through more interactive online consultation and collaboration.  We will also empower professionals to be active on online peer-support networks in their area of work.

Open feedback. Most importantly, the public should be able to have a fair say about their services. The Government will publish best practice in engaging with the public in large numbers online, drawing on the epxerience of the www.showusabetterway.com competition and the www.londonsummit.gov.uk, as well as leading private examples like www.ideastorm.com.

The Power of Information Task Force has now published the final version of the Taskforce report and will be circulating this as widely as possible.

The next stage is for the government to give an official response to the report through Cabinet Office Minister Tom Watson MP.

The highlights of this meeting include:

• A presentation by Peter Shortt, Director at the Shareholder Executive, leading on the Government’s Trading Fund Assessment
• A presentation by Michael Jennings, Strategic Director at Surrey County Council on PSI re-use in local government

See papers for this meeting:

• 04.03.09-Agenda.pdf (90.21 KB)
• Paper 1: Minutes-of-the-last-meeting.pdf (171.11 KB)
• Paper 2: Presentation-on-PSI-reuse-in-local-government.pdf (94.8 KB)
• Paper 3a: Discussion paper on APPSI's future strategy and objectives by Mike Batty, APPSI member.pdf (14.84 KB)
• Paper 3b: Discussion paper on APPSI's future strategy and objectives by Shane O'Neill, APPSI member.pdf (28.83 KB)
• 04.03.09-Minutes .doc (110 KB)

On 1 February 2009, the Power of Information Task Force published an online draft report, inviting comments on the Task Force’s recommendations to Government on

·      how modern media can facilitate and embed the re-use principles of public sector information and improve public services;

·      how data can be presented in re-usable formats;

·      on the need for simplification of license models; and

·      the need to improve access to government information. 

APPSI's response is a majority report but is not agreed by all members. The Trading Fund representative on the Panel is not able to agree with or support this submission.

The response addresses:

·      Overview: the need to develop the knowledge economy and the re-use of public sector information through a more simplified licensing regime

·      Recommendation 9

·      Recommendation 10

·      Recommendation 11

·      Recommendation 12

·      Recommendation 18

 If you wish to discuss any of the points made in this response, please email the APPSI Secretariat: secretariat@appsi.gov.uk or telephone: 020 8392 5330 ext: 2252.

16.02.09-APPSI-Response-to-Draft-POI-Taskforce-Report.pdf (113.74 KB)