Government consults on improvements to data sharing by public sector bodies

The Cabinet Office has launched a consultation into the sharing and use of data in public sector organisations.

The consultation has been designed to examine how government can share data to:

• improve outcomes for the public “by ensuring public authorities have the data they need to deliver the right service to the right citizen at the right time, for example around running the Troubled Families programme”;
• support the administering of fuel poverty payments;
• enable access to civil registration data, for example births, deaths and marriages – “this prevents authorities sending letters to people who are deceased”;
• reduce the billions of pounds lost and cost to the taxpayer in preventing, detecting and dealing with fraud against the public sector;
• help citizens manage their debt more effectively and reduce the estimated £24.1bn of overdue debt owed to government;
• enable the Office for National Statistics (ONS) to access detailed administrative data from across government and businesses "to provide more accurate, frequent and timely statistics and to update how the census is managed, rather than using surveys";
• support accredited researchers to access and link data to carry out research for public benefit.

The Cabinet Office said the consultation would seek to “improve data security across government whilst making citizens’ lives easier”.

The consultation paper and other documents can be viewed here. The consultation runs for eight weeks.

Minister for the Cabinet Office Matt Hancock said: “Data is the fuel for the digital revolution. The very best policies and services are developed around information that’s current, relevant and makes sure you can access government services just as easily as iTunes.

“There is huge potential for improving citizens’ lives through data sharing in the UK. The consultation we launch today will help make sure we get data right and bolster security whilst making people’s lives better.”