Prime Minister announces way forward for smarter public services through better use of personal data (11/4/2002)
The Prime Minister today welcomed a new report aimed at delivering more customer-focussed public services through better use of personal information in a way that commands public trust and ensures effective privacy safeguards.
The report, from the Performance and Innovation Unit (PIU), says that the ability of the public sector to deliver more personalised, more efficient services depends on the effective use of personal information about citizens.
To realise the potential benefits for citizens from better data use, the public sector must earn people's trust about how their personal information is protected and build confidence in the way it handles sensitive data.
Called 'Privacy and Data-Sharing: The Way Forward for Public Services', the PIU report says that action is needed in a number of areas, including:
- Building public trust: ensuring clear and consistent principles govern the way personal information is used across the public sector, through a Public Services Trust Charter, greater openness in the interactions between public services and their consumers, and improved access to personal data along with simple processes for correcting mistakes;
- Improving data quality: ensuring that the data held for public service delivery is high quality and up-to-date, for example through increased use of data quality audits to ensure that only good quality, up-to-date information is used in data-sharing;
- Making better use of technology to deliver more secure, more joined-up services: ensuring high levels of data security, effective protection from fraud and more joined-up, more personalised service delivery, for example through the use of smartcard and Public Key Infrastructure technology and by implementing best practice on information security throughout the public sector;
- Addressing legal problems: ensuring that public services are clear about how the law regulates data-sharing, together with consultation on possible legal changes to allow wider data-sharing with the consent of the individual and to change the processes for establishing data-sharing gateways.
The Prime Minister, Tony Blair, said:
'I strongly welcome this report on such an important issue for public services.
'The Government supports the twin objectives set out in the report of encouraging better use of personal data to deliver improved public services and safeguarding personal privacy.
'Public services are already using data more effectively to deliver more joined-up, more personalised public services. But there is room to achieve much more. The opportunities are clear: better, more personalised, more efficient public services which handle personal information in a way that commands public trust.'
The PIU report identifies a number of ways that the public could benefit from more efficient use of shared data. Examples include:
- A link between the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency and the UK Passport Service could mean drivers not having to send their passport to the DVLA when applying for a photocard licence. Instead the two agencies could use Passport numbers to verify identities.
- Modernising the civil registration system in England and Wales so that births and deaths could be registered in a variety of ways, including by phone or through the Internet.
- Making life easier for house buyers with simpler access to information about a property, such as land registry details, planning details and property and land prices.
- Tackling problems of car crime and dumped vehicles by making more information available to police officers right at the roadside.
- Launching the report, Lord Falconer of Thoroton, Sponsor Minister for the project, said:
'Government needs to earn people's trust when to comes to collecting and using personal information about them. But we can then repay that trust with services that are much more closely tailored to individual needs.'
'People expect the public sector to provide customer-focused high-quality services, like those they already enjoy from the private sector. Better use of personal data, with effective privacy safeguards that build public trust, will help Government to meet these expectations.'
Notes for editors
- The PIU report 'Privacy and Data-Sharing: The Way Forward for Public Services' was published today. The report is available on the PIU website (www.piu.gov.uk) or from the PIU (tel: 020 7276 1416).
- The report identifies several drivers of change:
- rising public expectations of public services - consumers expect services to be responsive to their needs;
- the move to e-government and the ability of IT to deliver innovative services are presenting new opportunities to deliver a step change in service delivery;
- identification and authentication - there is a growing risk of identity theft and fraud, which poses risks for individuals and public services alike;
- the legal framework has evolved rapidly in recent years, which could lead to changes in the relationship between individuals and public services; and
- a growing concern about personal privacy, driven by awareness of the Internet and the challenges posed by the knowledge economy.
- The report develops a strategy to co-ordinate improvements in service delivery. The strategy rests on the principle that public services should deliver better data use and effective privacy safeguards in equal measure.
- The strategy is built on change in five key areas:
- building trust in the way that public services handle personal data;
- improving the quality of the data held by public services;
- making better use of IT to deliver more secure, more joined-up services;
- ensuring consistency across public services in meeting the challenges raised; and
- ensuring that there is a consistent interpretation of how the law allows and regulates data-sharing.
- The report discusses possible changes to legislation to enable more effective data use, with safeguards attached. It also issues a Public Services Trust Charter for consultation. The Government welcomes views on these recommendations. A copy of the draft charter is attached. The consultation period closes on 12 July 2002. Further consultations on proposals in the report leading to draft legislation will be undertaken by the Lord Chancellor's Department. Further details from the LCD's press office on 020 7210 8512.
- The creation of the Performance and Innovation Unit was announced by the Prime Minister on 28 July 1998. The PIU's aim is to improve the capacity of Government to address strategic, cross-cutting issues and to promote innovation in the development and delivery of policy and in the delivery of the Government's objectives. The Unit reports direct to the Prime Minister through Sir Richard Wilson.
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Draft Public Services Trust Charter - for consultation
This Charter sets out the standards of service that you can expect from public services in the way they handle personal information.
What you can expect from us
In observing the Data Protection Act, public services will aim to ensure that the following principles apply in handling personal information:
Overall Principles
- where you have a choice as to whether to provide us with your information, it is as easy as possible to exercise that choice;
- your information is only processed without your knowledge where this is necessary for purposes such as national security, public safety, statistical analysis, the protection of the economy, the prevention of crime or disorder, the protection of health or morals, or the protection of the rights and freedoms of others;
- only information which we actually need is collected and processed;
- your personal information is only seen by staff who need it to do their jobs;
- any information which we no longer need is deleted;
- decisions affecting you are only made on the basis of reliable and up to date information;
- your information is protected from unauthorised or accidental disclosure;
- a copy of any information we hold about you is normally provided on request;
- any inaccurate or misleading information is checked and corrected as soon as you bring this to our attention; and
- proper procedures are in place for dealing promptly with any complaints that you make.
The principles apply to personal information which we hold both on computer and in some paper records.
Service-specific Privacy Statements
Wherever we request personal information from you, we will publish a Privacy Statement for that service which will set out clearly:
- who will see it;
- why they need it;
- what they will do with it; and
- when they will delete it.
We will also tell you:
- how we safeguard your personal information ;
- how you can check and correct the information we hold;
- how to pursue a query or complaint; and
- where to get more information.
