08.07.11
Masses more public sector data to go online
More public sector data will be open to the general public, Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude has announced.
The Government has pledged a “quantum leap in transparency” as it details the new information on education, the NHS, and the justice system that will be published.
Plans include a website for parents which will bring up a range of schools information in each postcode.
The NHS will publish complaints categorised by hospital, GPs will publish more details of their prescribing practices and, from November, criminal courts will publish details of the sentences they have handed down – but not defendants’ names.
Reoffending rates, roadworks information, cycle routes and information on car parks across the country will also be published.
In a letter to the Cabinet, Prime Minister David Cameron said transparency could be a “powerful tool to reform public services, foster innovation and empower citizens”.
He claimed that the plans represent “the most ambitious open data agenda of any Government in the world”.
Maude said: "The new commitments represent a quantum leap in government transparency and will radically help to drive better public services."
Shadow Cabinet Office minister Tessa Jowell said Labour backed the transparency agenda.
Tell us what you think – have your say below, or email us directly at [email protected]