London: 1 July 2008

The UK National Archives (TNA) have announced the publication of a new online strategy. The 27 page document titled – Provide and Enable: The National Archives online strategy sets out the framework for developing online services over the next three years. The online strategy sets out how the access and re-use of public sector information will be supported which includes within Section 2.5 of the strategy the European Union Directive 2003/98/EC.

Within section 6 of the strategy The Minister of State for the Ministry of Justice Michael Wills is quoted as saying:

“ Data is… part of the infrastructure now of our society and our economy and it’s going to become more so…the extraordinary intellectual creative energy that’s being unleashed is something that as a government we have to respond to.”