Local government: Open Data Policy Consultation
The UK Department of Communities and Local Government (DCLG) has launched a consultation of Local Government Spending Reports. The consultation opened on the 30th March 2010 and will close on the 16th July 2010. A supporting consultation paper has also been published titled: Sustainable Communities Act 2007: Local Spending Reports. Proposals for Second Report Consultation. (References: March 2010. Product Code: 09LGSR06332. ISBN: 978 1 4098 2403 9. Pages: 25).
The announcement states:
“This consultation paper seeks views on proposals for the second Local Spending Report, its presentation and how these reports might develop over time. It places the development of Local Spending Reports in the broader context of work to make public data public. In particular, it summarises on-going work to ensure that public data becomes more accessible. This includes:
- The Local Public Data Panel
- The Local Data Exchange
- Total Place
- Civic Health
- Timely Information to Citizens
- Comprehensive Area Assessment”
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The Introduction within the consultation paper states: (References page 9 & 10)
“The Prime Minister has highlighted the importance of an open data policy as part of our broader efforts towards democratic renewal – creating a culture in which government information is accessible and useful to as many people as possible in order to help build public trust in the way that information is used. This broader agenda creates new opportunities for the citizen and local authorities to see and understand information on expenditure alongside information on quality, performance, efficiency and value for money. This information will often not be held by central government and will therefore be provided by other agencies. The Local Data Exchange (LDEx) will enable external parties to discover CLG data and re-use it in new and innovative ways, for multiple purposes. Importantly, we want LDEx to provide mechanisms for third-parties to link the data we hold with other related sources that are held and maintained externally – in particular, the wealth of local public data held within local authorities. Our proposals for publishing Local Spending Reports in a more accessible format, and increasingly enabling them to be interrogated against other data, fit firmly within that broader agenda.
Work on making public data public includes:
The Local Public Data Panel
Professor Nigel Shadbolt from the University of Southampton has been asked to head up a ‘Local Public Data Panel’ of experts to oversee the release of local public data and ensure that data are linked effectively across local authorities, the Local Government Association, government departments and agencies.
The Local Data Exchange
The Local Data Exchange (LDEx) will enable data from multiple sources to be linked around common concepts (such as the place/locality, or spending category to which it applies), using agreed standards.”
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The Consultation questions appear on page 20 of the consultation paper:
“Q1. Do you agree with the proposed scope of this report? In particular,
n bodies covered;
n expenditure covered (and how this is specified);
n areas covered (i.e. spatial/ geographical coverage);
n period covered.
If not, what are your suggestions?
Q2. What links to other data sources should we try to make in future Local Spending Reports?
Q3. In your opinion, will the second Local Spending Report create a new burden or cost or reduce burdens or costs for you or your organisation? In what way? Can you quantify these costs?
Q4. How could Local Spending Reports help you and how would you use this information?
Q5. How useful do you find the presentation of the first Local Spending Report on the Places database and could it be improved?
Q6. As stated, we see the provision of expenditure information in the longer term future as a product of data being exchanged from all levels – the very local, the regional and the national – in a standards-based portal approach which allows everyone to examine that data against other information. Given the principles outlined in this paper, and bearing in mind that Government is not best placed to provide all data, what further data would you like to see made available by other bodies in any future portal?”
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