UK public sector information and re-use policy - a 2008 analysis
UK public sector information and re-use policy - a 2008 analysis
Information produced by government does of course serve a number of purposes. First it should inform government so as to generate sound policy decisions and effective strategies. Second, through a variety of media, it should provide the general public with information to enable individuals to engage with government services and to deliver personal data that they are obliged to provide. Access to a wide variety of public sector information (PSI) is also important to enable individuals to manage their lives, operate their businesses or help make political decisions about which party to support at an election. But in the midst of such uses is the asset itself i.e. PSI and the policy for its creation, storage, management, exploitation and distribution. As a national resource one issue is whether it is a commodity to be shared freely or, in those circumstances where income can be derived from it, a product to be licensed and sold to offset public sector costs? In the UK this has been under debate for many years through analysis of Crown copyright regulation. Current policy, as interpreted by HM Treasury, continues to argue that those wishing to exploit or add value to PSI for commercial purposes should at least contribute something to the cost of its supply. Joint ventures with the private sector have also been entered into for the preparation and distribution of some PSI where the private sector service provider is permitted to recoup subscriptions in return for the investment. Until recently this has been a relatively sterile debate lacking data to fuel the arguments. That has changed as a result of recent investigations which this paper now explores. At issue is whether present policy is vindicated or alternatively whether pressure is growing for further modernisation of conventional approaches? This paper traces the process of development of the policy through to the present.
978-1-920899-39-4
Saxby, Stephen
c8e98809-84e7-46c2-a775-27c98444c5f0
July 2010
Saxby, Stephen
c8e98809-84e7-46c2-a775-27c98444c5f0
Saxby, Stephen
(2010)
UK public sector information and re-use policy - a 2008 analysis.
In,
Access to Public Sector Information: Law, Technology & Policy Volume 1.
Sydney, AU.
Sydney University Press.
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Abstract
Information produced by government does of course serve a number of purposes. First it should inform government so as to generate sound policy decisions and effective strategies. Second, through a variety of media, it should provide the general public with information to enable individuals to engage with government services and to deliver personal data that they are obliged to provide. Access to a wide variety of public sector information (PSI) is also important to enable individuals to manage their lives, operate their businesses or help make political decisions about which party to support at an election. But in the midst of such uses is the asset itself i.e. PSI and the policy for its creation, storage, management, exploitation and distribution. As a national resource one issue is whether it is a commodity to be shared freely or, in those circumstances where income can be derived from it, a product to be licensed and sold to offset public sector costs? In the UK this has been under debate for many years through analysis of Crown copyright regulation. Current policy, as interpreted by HM Treasury, continues to argue that those wishing to exploit or add value to PSI for commercial purposes should at least contribute something to the cost of its supply. Joint ventures with the private sector have also been entered into for the preparation and distribution of some PSI where the private sector service provider is permitted to recoup subscriptions in return for the investment. Until recently this has been a relatively sterile debate lacking data to fuel the arguments. That has changed as a result of recent investigations which this paper now explores. At issue is whether present policy is vindicated or alternatively whether pressure is growing for further modernisation of conventional approaches? This paper traces the process of development of the policy through to the present.
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Published date: July 2010
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Also published as: Saxby, Stephen (2008) Public sector information and re-use – where is the UK now? International Journal of Private Law, 1, (3/4), 229-255.(doi:10.1504/IJPL.2008.021228). See: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/73132/ ; Saxby, Stephen (2008) Public sector information and re-use – where is the UK now? In, Kierkegaard, Sylvia Mercado (ed.) Business and Law Theory and Practice. New York, USA, International Association of IT Lawyers, 67-93. See: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/52523/
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Local EPrints ID: 73212
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/73212
ISBN: 978-1-920899-39-4
PURE UUID: 089eaefb-14c7-47b9-971e-de1f82b576ea
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Date deposited: 02 Mar 2010
Last modified: 13 Mar 2024 21:55
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