LOCAL PUBLIC DATA PANEL – ACTIONS REPORT
23 September 2011
1. The table below summarises status of actions that have not previously been reported as complete,
coming out of the Panel meeting on 19 July.
Issue
MADWDATA
Arms Length Body
data
Action
Confirm forward funding in
August.
Fuller update on data
published from ‘to be
abolished’ ALBs.
Terms of
Reference
Amend draft ToR to reflect
Panel discussion.
Programme
funding
DCLG to report on use of
2010/11 programme funds.
Parish Councils
DCLG to engage National
Association of Local
Councils on publication of
parish database.
Follow-up
See attached paper Item for Panel discussion on 29
September.
Ongoing. Cabinet Office leads on this work. So far, 49 of
the 202 Non departmental Public Bodies (NDPBs)
earmarked for abolition or transfer to Departments have
been completed. We do not have details of the data
made available from these bodies but Cabinet Office will
be following up. The abolition of the vast majority of
statutory bodies involved in this process relies on the
Public Bodies Bill, which is still before Parliament. There
will also be a subsequent programme of secondary
legislation using powers in the Bill.
Seven DCLG sponsored NDPBs have been abolished /
transferred. Work is ongoing to ensure data is retained
and made publicly available from data.gov.uk in line with
guidance. For example, details of Firebuy spend over
£500 has already been transferred to the DCLG website.
A status report on other bodies is attached at the end of
this report. We will update you as further information
becomes available.
Completed. Amended ToR circulated for final Panel
comment by 19 August. No additional comments
received.
Completed. The budget line which included possible
funds related to Panel activities in the last financial year
forecast an underspend. As activities to spend the
money were not identified it was surrendered to the
Department’s corporate centre.
Ongoing. NALC do not have an imminent plan to make
the database available. They have data protection
concerns as the database involves some personal
information of individuals who run smaller parishes. For
example, it may be some of the information was
gathered by individuals who were not aware of all the
purposes for which it might be used (e.g. online
publication). We have requested that NALC share data
headings so we can better understand this issue.
We have confirmed terms of the original grant which
permits dissemination by DCLG among all persons or
bodies who have responsibility for similar projects, who
may then use the information freely for their own
purposes.
Priorities
DCLG to map thematic
policy areas against
current data collections.
We are continuing to broker with NALC their agreement
to publish the data base themselves. We will be
meeting them shortly to listen to their sensitivities and
press for publication.
Ongoing and see attached report. DCLG has published
a list of datasets used for key policy decisions.
http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/corporate/b
usinessplan2010. This list was refreshed to incorporate
new / improved information arising from (a) a crosscheck against the Single Data List; and (b) additional
key datasets held by our ALBs. The resulting list was
also used to check and update DCLG’s records on
data.gov.uk. This list is attached. It is work in progress
and will evolve as DCLG beds in changes from
downsizing, ALB reform, etc.
The list is shaping ‘quick win’ work on transparency and
open data. Specifically this will focus on homelessness,
as a high priority policy area, to a) ensure we have
captured the full range of data sets produced by and
used in the policy; b) inform work with end users to
understand demand for data, and potential for release in
more accessible/open formats; c) aid work with partners
to identify opportunities for DCLG sources to be blended
and combined with related external data (in particular
local data held by local authorities, agencies and the
VCS).
The Department has also consulted on our official
statistics products (see attached report). A response is
with Ministers but this provides a breakdown on stats by
subject area: Local Government Finance, Housing and
Homelessness, Planning Performance & Land Use,
Deprivation, Communities & Citizens, Fire and Rescue
and Other Business Areas.
Capital Asset
Mapping
“Public Data /
Private
Companies”
Other Business
A further update on next steps for this project is attached
for information only.
Janet Hughes to revise
draft position statement.
Ongoing. Revised statement following Panel comments
to Janet to be published shortly.
Empty Homes Data
Completed. On 6 September the Dept was tasked,
following emails from Tom Steinberg and William Perrin,
to clarify the status of an empty homes data set that
appeared subject to PSMA restrictions.
With the National Archive we have confirmed that the
Homes & Communities Agency data set is not subject to
these restrictions. The HCA has removed the PSMA
condition and added a link to enable interested parties to
see the datasets which used in the GIS Empty Houses
Toolkit information
http://www.homesandcommunities.co.uk/sites/default/file
s/book/emptyhomes/empty_homes_data_sources_and_geog_levels_
oct2010.xls . There are also statistics available at local
authority level with figures for empty homes at LA district
level in "live table 615" at the link below.
http://www.communities.gov.uk/housing/housingresearc
h/housingstatistics/housingstatisticsby/stockincludingvac
ants/livetables/
Annex A: Current Status on DCLG NDPBs, 23 September 2011.

Firebuy: DCLG received records and electronic data.

Community Development Foundation: DCLG received records and electronic data.

Residential Property Tribunal Service: Records and data being transferred to MoJ.

Valuation Tribunal for England: Records and data being transferred to MoJ.

Standards Board for England: Arrangements being made to take records and data by Jan
2012.

Tenants Services Authority: Records and data going to Homes & Communities Agency.

London Thames Gateway Development Corporation: Records and data going to
Mayoral Development Company.

Olympic Park Legacy Company: Records and data being transferred to Mayoral
Development Company.

West Northamptonshire Development Corporation: Arrangements being made to take
records and data to DCLG by 2013/14.