DSIT has described a number of objectives for the National Data Library: one of the most important is improving public services through more joined-up data. This event investigates the role of foundational data in enabling that joining up.
Many other countries, such as Denmark, the Netherlands and Estonia, have integrated systems for managing registers of and key information about individuals, businesses, property, addresses and locations. The contents of those registers are key to managing interactions with public services, and a “once-only” principle of data collection and management improves data consistency and eliminates duplication.
Is this something we should be pursuing in the UK? The public sector holds all the same types of information as other countries but often in a piecemeal way. In particular, information about individuals is spread across DWP, HMRC, the NHS and others.
The discussions will cover:
- What benefits could this bring to public services?
- How do we get there from where we are now?
- What protections need to be in place to ensure fairness and individual rights?
- How will the design of public services need to change to make the best use of foundational data?
- How will foundational data relate to new plans for digital identity?
