An independent review said that the success of the coalition government's 'transparency' programme for official data would depend on resolving privacy concerns in general, and the issue of anonymization of personal data in particular.
Source: Kieron O Hara, Transparent Government, Not Transparent Citizens, Cabinet Office
Links: Report
Date: 2011-Sep
The coalition government announced that it had accepted all the recommendations made in a review of official crime statistics by the national statistician. The Office for National Statistics would in future assume responsibility for the independent reporting and publication of crime statistics. The presentation of crime statistics needed further improvement to provide clarity about the coverage of the two sources of crime statistics – the British Crime Survey and police recorded crime.
Source: Written Ministerial Statement 18 July 2011, column 85WS, House of Commons Hansard, TSO
Links: Hansard | Home Office press release
Date: 2011-Jul
A report said that the drive to put central and local government data online, and open to public scrutiny, had revealed the long-standing quality problems with the data. The public sector needed to rebuild its skills to manage and to use information – at all levels, including technical and professional – as a matter of urgency.
Source: Improving the Evidence Base: The Quality of Information, EURIM – The Information Society Alliance
Links: Report | CILIP press release
Date: 2011-Jul
The Office for National Statistics began consultation on the future of the General Lifestyle Survey, formerly the General Household Survey. The survey series would be discontinued if users did not indicate an overriding need for the survey.
Source: The Future of the General Lifestyle Survey, Office for National Statistics
Links: Consultation document
Date: 2011-Feb