Maude Promises More Open Data After Shakespeare Review

The government has pledged more open data is coming, promising “detailed information” on the operations of charities and companies for citizens to sift through or for developers to turn into exciting products.

Information about how charities earn and spend their money will be available in an open data format, Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude said today. He believes apps built on the data will help people make more informed decisions on what charities to back.

The information will be released by the Charity Commission by March 2014.

More open data coming

The government is releasing the data partly in response to the Shakespeare Review, which suggested the Coalition ramp up its open data strategy and get as much information out in as short a time as possible.

Maude confirmed a number of open data projects, including an HMRC public consultation this summer on releasing information from the VAT register. The Land Registry will release records of the price paid for residential properties sold at full market value and registered between 1 January 2009 and 31 January 2012 in England and Wales.

“The data commitments we are announcing today will strengthen the hand of citizens in holding commercial and charitable organisations to account,” Maude said.

“They will also support growth and the creation of data-led businesses in the new information economy – helping the UK compete in the global race.”

He pledged to push forward with the Open Government Partnership (OGP) National Action Plan, confirming government would seek to collaborate with others to determine which data sets should be opened up.

Just yesterday, the European Parliament voted to bring in new rules for public sector data across member states. They will guarantee all public sector data, excluding anything that would amount to personal information, would be made available on the Internet,  in an open format that can be easily re-used and at a low cost.

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