Yield control of personal information

Monday, June 29, 2009

A Conservative think-tank has called on the government to free up its data and give it back to the public who, according to its report, own it anyway.

'It's ours: why we, not government, must own our data' said a clear choice is emerging for the future of government IT. Either continue with the Transformational Government strategy, or abandon "expensive and failing centralised IT projects and yield control of personal information to individual citizens".

The Centre for Policy Studies' report said the approach that would free up data has been increasingly effective in the private sector and could offer substantial benefits.

"They include estimated savings on government IT expenditure of 50 per cent; more flexibility; better public services; greater security and privacy over data; and far less intrusion by the state into the everyday lives of its citizens," the report said. "This approach does not, in contrast to the government's agenda, require huge investment in the creation of untested and largely unnecessary new technology."

As an example, the report said a citizen could store his/her health record on a secure online service like HealthVault or Google Health, rather than relying on the NHS's National Programme for IT (NPfIT) to hold it. They could then communicate and pass data to their GP through that service, eliminating the need for an NHS database.

The report added that it should be more a matter of choice, rather than a dramatic overhaul. By default the state would remain the holder of personal data. But those who do wish to take care of their own personal information would be free to do so.

In matters relating to national security or law and order, the report said these recommendations should not apply. "It is not proposed, for example, to allow
criminals to control their police records," it said.

To make this work, the report said all public services must use open data standards. This would ensure that data can be easily transferred from one data provider to another, similar to how customers can switch bank accounts.

Shadow science and innovation minister, Adam Afriyie, said: "This report starkly highlights both the grotesque intrusion by state officials into our everyday lives and the wanton waste of taxpayers' money. We're working on a different view of government's use of IT and [the report author] Liam Maxwell's ideas offer a reason to be hopeful and an alternative path for an incoming government with change in mind."

The report also restated the fact that only one in three large public sector IT projects were successful. But a Cabinet Office spokeswoman was keen to tell Public Servant Daily that the private sector actually have the same levels of success, according to the National Audit Office (NAO).

"Any large-scale business change involving complex technology can run into problems, but the government continues to deliver successful, innovative products that improve public services and make a real difference to people's lives," she added.

In 2009/10, the UK government will spend about £16.5bn on IT, equivalent to 1.4 per cent of GDP or 4.6 per cent of operating expenditure.