Publish government data

This is a living document, and we need your help to make it better. Please leave any comments or sources of further evidence at the bottom of the page. This is version 1 - published on 15th July 2010.

What's the policy?

Publish government data

1. "We will create a new 'right to data' so that government-held datasets can be requested and used by the public, and then published on a regular basis.
2. We will oblige the police to publish detailed local crime data statistics every month, so the public can get proper information about crime in their neighbourhoods and hold the police to account for their performance." (Building the Big Society, Cabinet Office)

What's the evidence?

The Coalition's Programme for Government contained a number of pledges to make government more transparent, particularly in the area of the data that government holds. There are specific pledges to make available data on government workforce, central and local government spending, and contracting and tendering. But the Government also pledged a more general "right to data".

The process of opening up government data was begun under the previous government, and there have been a number of milestones along the way:

• January 2005: The full provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 come into force, creating a general right of access to information held by public authorities. Freedom of Information requests have since become an important part of journalism and civic activism, with the MPs expenses scandal probably the most high-profile FOI-related case.

• September 2009: data.gov.uk is launched by Gordon Brown and Sir Tim Berners-Lee, with the aim of encouraging the general public and web developers to re-use data the government holds.

• April 2010: After the "Free our Data" campaign by the Guardian newspaper, amongst others, the Ordnance Survey makes available limited map data for free re-use, as part of its OpenData programme.

• June 2010: The newly-formed Government releases the COINS database of central government expenditure. George Osborne later pledges that future releases of the data will be more user-friendly. The coalition have also acted quickly to get other datasets into the public domain, notably central government workforce, special advisors and highly-paid civil servants.

Future developments planned by the government include forcing local authorities to release details of all spending over £500, a register of lobbyists, the publication of contracts and, importantly, commitments to using open and standardised formats when publishing data.

Some examples of open data in action

It is difficult to quantify the impact that open government data has had so far, particularly at this early stage. However, there are a number of examples of citizens and organisations using (and creating) public data to hold government to account and to create value for their communities.

• FixMyStreet: A mySociety website that allows citizens to report problems in their area (like potholes, graffiti and fly tipping) directly to the local council. The site keeps a log of all queries, so not only are they reported to the council, but other citizens can see where the issues in their area are.

• Where does my money go?: This site, run by the Open Knowledge Foundation shows how public money is spent, and informs debates about public spending in the UK. They have been at the forefront of efforts to gain access to the COINS database.

• Open Councils: OpenlyLocal have been tracking councils that release open data, and seeing how many are truly open. At the time of writing, only nine out of 434 councils are truly open (by the definition they are using), with another nine publishing open data. These councils include: Lichfield, Salford, Warwickshire, East Staffordshire and the Greater London Authority. These councils are also sharing apps made using the data: Warwickshire has gallery of applications, and so does London.

• Interactive Tube Maps: a very powerful example of how an open data feed, in this case live London Underground tube information, can create simple applications that capture the imagination. The live tube map was created by Matthew Somerville. (The site is currently out of action - here's a video of it working.)

• National Biodiversity Network: charities and statutory bodies involved in wildlife and biodiversity have come together to share the information they collect on particular species throughout the UK. Citizens can see what species are active in their local areas, and organisations can collaborate on action and campaigning.

• London Crime Mapping: Following Boris Johnson's election as Mayor of London in 2008, the Metropolitan Police launched an online map showing crime in London Boroughs and Wards.

• Subsidy Scope: this US-based project tracks government spending on ad tax subsidies for non-profit organisations. The site also includes data from federal bailouts.

What are the potential challenges and opportunities?

Opportunities

• Open data will give charities new ways to find and share information on the need of their beneficiaries - who needs their services most and where they are located.
• Charities will be able to use the evidence found in open data to boost their campaigns and lobby government. Some voluntary sector organisations have been at the forefront of opening up data.

Challenges

• Many of the skills needed to create, access and use open data are not yet widespread in the voluntary sector. There is a cost to effectively creating and using this data, while sharing commercially sensitive data could reduce competitiveness.
• As open data becomes embedded in government, voluntary organisations which contract with government may be compelled to produce and share data as part of those contracts.

References

• Data.gov.uk
• Open Knowledge Foundation
• Podnosh

Additional areas to explore

• The costs of open data.
• Successes and failures of open data.