Source · Select Committees · Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee
Recommendation 2
2
Accepted
UK's public data landscape is fragmented, lacking effective collaboration between actors.
Conclusion
As it stands, the UK’s public data landscape is highly fragmented. This need not be a problem (indeed the model offers several conceivable advantages) if the many actors involved in generating, analysing and communicating evidence work together effectively. Our inquiry suggests that in several areas, however, this is not yet the case. (Paragraph 24) An explosion of data: Navigating new data sources and technologies
Government Response Summary
The government commits to issuing further publications to enhance transparency on data acquisition and processing, and will add data in the process of being acquired to its transparency reporting, developing the optimal format with suppliers.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
22. The ONS accepts the Committee’s recommendation that we publish information on, and rationale for, the datasets we are seeking on our website annually. This fits well with our strong desire to be transparent about the data we use to support statistical outputs. For example, we already publish a report on the datasets that we have acquired that contain personal identifiers which was most recently updated in July 2024.15 We are working to expand the coverage of this publication to cover a broader array of alternative and administrative data sources, irrespective of whether the dataset contains personal identifiers or not. 23. We have a broader transparency ambition, which will lead to further publications that provide information about how the data we acquire are processed and the relationship between these data ‘inputs’ and our broad portfolio of statistical outputs. Whilst all the necessary information is available on an individual basis, drawing together all of the elements 12 https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/64184bccd3bf7f79d9675dbd/Data_ Maturity_Assessment_for_Government_-_FINAL_PDF.pdf 13 https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/essential-shared-data-assets-and-data- ownership-in-government/essential-shared-data-assets-esdas-policy-html 14 https://integrateddataservice.gov.uk/ 15 https://www.ons.gov.uk/file?uri=/aboutus/transparencyandgovernance/datastrategy/ sourcesofdata/transparencytablenewpublishedsheetjuly2024.xlsx needed to depict this will require a programme of work across the office, including the development of an enterprise data model. We intend to start with some illustrative examples to test the best ways of presenting what will be a very large amount of information. We will then expand from that point, recognising the need to be both informative and comprehensive. 24. We also acknowledge the importance of being transparent about the data that we have not yet acquired, in both illuminating the progress on key data shares, but also conveying a clear sense of our progress in delivering a viable administrative data based statistical system. Therefore, we agree to add data that is in the process of being acquired to our transparency reporting. We will develop the best format for these publications, in conjunction with our various suppliers so that we can appropriately convey the status of an acquisition. 25. We recognise that data sharing is a complex process. Various stages are required to mature sharing arrangements and deliver sustainable supplies of data and it is necessary to provide a sense of how mature our sharing arrangements are. We must also ensure that we adhere to commercial sensitivities in naming some suppliers.