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Untitled Written question

Answer

The Office of Public Sector Information (OPSI) provides a wide range of services to the public, information industry, government and the wider public sector relating to finding, using, sharing and trading information. OPSI has been formed from the resource of Her Majesty's Stationery Office (HMSO). It has an extended remit to advise on and regulate the operation of the re-use of public sector information. HMSO continues to exist and fulfil its core activities including responsibility for the publication of legislation and the management of Crown copyright operating from within OPSI. The OPSI handles a range of information management policy: leads on the UK implementation of the European Directive on the re-use of Public Sector Information which will be implemented into UK law on 1 July 2005 provides an Information Fair Trader Scheme (IFTS) founded on the principles of openness, transparency, fairness, compliance and challenge. This helps re-users of public sector information to know that they will be treated reasonably and fairly by public sector information providers provides the Click-Use system for obtaining a licence to re-use Crown copyright material through an online licensing process manages the Information Asset Register (IAR) that lists information assets held by the UK Government with a focus on unpublished material provides a secretariat to the Advisory Panel On Public Sector Information (APPSI), which advises Ministers on how best to encourage the re-use of public sector information The net budget for OPSI for 2005–06 is £2,014,616 which represents an increase of 3 per cent. over the costs of HMSO during 2004–05.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

870; 434 c115-6W;434 c119-20W

Session

2005-06

Subjects

Finance Functions HMSO Government information services Public bodies Reform Office of Public Sector Information

Contains statistics

Yes