WIREDGOV

The Cabinet Office has responded to the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) report "Implementing the transparency agenda".

Cabinet Office Minister Francis Maude said:

We have put transparency at the heart of this government, which is the most transparent in British history. We are global leaders in this agenda and, as the new lead chair of the international Open Government Partnership, we will promote transparency all over the world as a means to increase accountability, fight corruption and drive prosperity.

"We also believe passionately in the power of open data to drive improvements in public services by informing choice, to act as a fuel for innovation and growth, and to give citizens, the media and civil society the information to hold governments to account.

"Accessibility for all is a fundamental factor in realising the full potential of open data - that’s precisely why we set out in our Open Data White Paper how the government will ensure open data is more accessible and more usable. We are already making strides on this front. We have overhauled data.gov.uk to make it more user-friendly; published Government Open Data Strategies; and set out full data releases for the next two years; and we are working in partnership with third party suppliers to promote public use of data.

"We welcome the Committee’s recognition of the progress we have made on the transparency agenda, and agree with all their recommendations to move it forward."

The Government’s detailed response to the report can be found in the Treasury Minutes.