Sir Tim Berners- Lee Opens Web of Government Data

Sir Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the world wide web, will launch the new government website data.gov.uk later today. The site offers free access to a huge amount of public-sector data for private or commercial reuse.

The aim is to encourage British web developers and companies to create websites and information feeds that combine the data with other information such as , maps or other datasets – and potentially to discover hidden patterns that may not obvious from the raw information.

In his Government data manifesto Mr Berners-Lee said: "For the first time we have created a single online place where those looking for government data can go to find it, without having to know which department holds what and where it is.This is an important step in setting the groundwork for further progress. Our ambition is to make the release of data part of the 'business as usual' of public bodies."

He added "Data.gov.uk is not finished. In fact, we hope it never is: there will always be scope to add more data as it is collected. However we have created the platform and the community for moving forward together."

The US government already has a similar site, data.gov, set up by the incoming Obama administration last year and London also launched a "datastore" earlier this month.

The government has previously sponsored a competition, Show Us A Better Way asking for examples of what people would do with public sector information and with a £20,000 prize fund. Among the winners were maps for local recycling, cycle paths, school catchment areas and postbox locations.

The US government already has a similar site, data.gov, set up by the Obama administration last year and officially launched in May by the US's "chief information officer", Vivek Kundra. London also launched a "datastore" earlier this month, hosting a number of London-specific datasets corralled from government departments as well as Transport for London data.

See the site for yourself - please click here

Read Sir Tim Berners-Lee manifesto for Government data here

CLG Announcement: Local Government Finance Report

Local Government Minister Barbara Follett has released a statement covering the local government finance report (England) 2010-11.

The final figures published today for 2010-11 confirm those originally published in January 2008 equating to a total formula grant for 2010-11 of £747m.

The full report, which is available to download below, establishes the amounts of revenue support grant and non-domestic rates to be paid to local authorities in 2010-11, and the basis of their distribution. Supporting information is available on the Communities and Local Government website - please see link below.

Links
Barbara Follett Statement
The Local Government Finance Report (England) 2010/2011
Communities and Local Government website

DWP Data Releases including HB and CTB Statistics

The latest national statistics on Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit produced by the Department for Work and Pensions were released on 20th January 2010.

Statistics are based on Housing Benefit (HB) and Council Tax Benefit (CTB) claimants in Great Britain at November 2008 to October 2009.

The key points from the latest release are:

• At October 2009, the total number of people claiming Housing Benefit was 4.57 million, with 5.59 million claiming Council Tax Benefit.
  
• 3.03 million Housing Benefit recipients were of working-age, representing almost two thirds of all Housing Benefit recipients.
  
• 70 per cent of Housing Benefit recipients were tenants of Social Sector landlords and 29 per cent were tenants of Private Sector landlords.
  
• Over two thirds of both Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit recipients are in receipt of a Passported Benefit.
• The overall average Housing Benefit award is £81.90 per week, and for Council Tax Benefit recipients, the overall average award was £15.59 per week.
  

For full release and details please click here

Additional statistical publications added by the DWP include:

• Statistical Summary: January 2010
• Early Estimates for Working Age Inactive Benefit Client Groups
• Lone Parents Receiving Jobseeker's Allowance
• Children in Out-of-work Benefit Households
• Jobseekers' Allowance Six Month Offer

Links to all this data can be found here

DWP Appointment to Social Security Advisory Committee

Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Yvette Cooper, has appointed Ms Nicola Smith, as a member of the Social Security Advisory Committee (SSAC) for a term of three year.

Nicola Smith is currently a Senior Policy Officer in the Economic and Social Affairs Department of the Trades Union Congress and was previously responsible for the coordination of the work of the TUC’s Commission on Vulnerable Employment. Prior to joining the TUC, she was employed as a Principal Researcher at the Centre for Economic and Social Exclusion. She has also held research and policy posts at the Children and Young People’s Unit within the Department for Education and Skills, and at Barnardo’s Policy and Research Unit.

The SSAC is the advisory body for the United Kingdom on social security matters, except those relating to industrial injuries, war pensions, occupational pensions, and national insurance contributions.

New Blog Feature: Links of the Week

In this new section on our blog we will be posting the most popular links from our previous 7 days Twitter updates, plus others which hopefully you’ll either find interesting or enjoy reading.

Our first weekly offerings are below simply click the headline to be taken to the main article:

The most popular from our Twitter updates...
Councils should play more of an ‘economic activist’ role to help create jobs and boost growth.
Local government taking the initiative over the Treasury in search for new revenues
The big issues of 2009 as seen through the covers of the Local Government Chronicle

And from elsewhere...
George Osborne identifies cuts for first weeks of Tory government
100 achievements of Boris Johnson as Mayor of London
UK National Statistics Dept for Local Government & Communities Data Release Calendar

And for the fun Five Minutes link…
Futurists predict fewer butchers, more space pilots – and spare legs for top football stars

You can follow our Twitter updates at http://twitter.com/OPENRevenues

New Welfare Benefits Report Calls For More Government Action

The leading housing and care charity Housing 21 has published a new report which calls for government action to help support and encourage older people who are eligible for benefits which they don't claim.

The report 'A World of Difference' analyses the experience of older people who have successfully claimed benefits with the support of Housing 21's specialist benefits advisors. It also examines national benefit and pensioner policy and
compares key current issues with those outlined in a similar report published six years ago.

Lyn Davey, welfare benefits manager at Housing 21 and co-author of the report, said:

"It's both frustrating and disappointing that so little has changed in the last six years. Whilst someone's quality of life can be radically improved by a modest increase in income, benefit levels are hardly generous. The Government can and should do more to encourage benefit take up and ensure older people get the benefits they need."

To download a copy or read summary details of the report please click the image above.

Free mobile calls for benefit claimants starting from 18 January

The Department of Work and Pensions today announced agreement with six of the largest mobile networks in the UK to no longer charge their customers for calls to the Department’s 0800 Benefit Claim lines.

Currently 12% of UK households use only mobile phones and do not have a land line. Calls to claim benefits and state pension use 0800 numbers which are already free to customers using BT land lines and mobiles. But currently people calling 0800 numbers from other mobile phone providers are charged for these calls.

The Department has now reached agreement with O2, Orange, Tesco Mobile, T-Mobile, Virgin Mobile and Vodafone to end charges to their customers for mobile calls to around seventy of its 0800 numbers. These numbers are used by people making initial claims for benefit and pensions and to request emergency payments, such as crisis loans.

Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Yvette Cooper, said: "We don't want people who lose their jobs or the poorest pensioners to be penalised when they need to claim benefits just because they call from a mobile phone. Lots of people need to use mobiles rather than landlines." The DWP estimate that there are around 60 million phone calls to its 0800 numbers each year, and around 15% (9 million) are from mobile phones.

Civica Launches Health & Social Care Unit

Civica Group Ltd, has launched Civica Health and Social Care, a dedicated business unit for the sector and a new identity for in4tek following its acquisition in 2009. The unit will help customers, including health service providers and local authorities, to access broader service capabilities and resources for all aspects of community-based care, while capitalising on their existing investments in service delivery and technology.

The launch coincides with the latest new customers for the company's comprehensive 'Paris' software application, which has been selected to help Child health and Community staff improve care delivery at St Helens and Knowsley PCTs.

The new division builds on Civica’s integration of in4tek. It will continue to deliver and develop the Paris suite of person-centric application software, used across the UK and Canada to streamline the management of adults’ and children’s services, mental health, child health and community care. The new unit will also enable customers to access the company’s broader expertise in key service delivery technologies including web services and electronic workflow and document management.

Please click here for full details

DWP Consultation: Employment & Support Allowance Regulations 2010 & HB/CTB Amendments Regulations 2010

The DWP is seeking views on proposed regulations that provide for the movement of benefit claims from incapacity benefit, income support paid on grounds of incapacity and severe disablement allowance to employment and support allowance and associated changes to housing benefit and council tax benefit.

Before the Committee considers and reports on proposals, it would like to hear from organisations and individuals who have views on these proposed regulations.

Full details can be downloaded here

New Local Government Ombudsman Appointed

Dr Jane Martin has been appointed as a Local Government Ombudsman (LGO) by Her Majesty The Queen following the recommendation of the Communities Secretary John Denham.

Dr Martin will take up her new post on 11 January 2010 when she will also succeed Jerry White, who retired in September, as Vice Chair of the Commission for Local Administration in England.

The Minister for Local Government, Rosie Winterton MP said:

"I am delighted that Jane Martin has been appointed as a Local Government Ombudsman, and that she has been designated as Vice Chair of the Commission for Local Administration. The Local Government Ombudsman has a vital role to play in ensuring that people get swift and fair redress if things go wrong in the delivery of their local services."

The LGO was set up by the Local Government Act 1974, to conduct investigate complaints from members of the public who consider they have suffered injustice, as a result of maladministration by bodies within their jurisdiction.

The objective of the Ombudsmen is to secure, where appropriate, satisfactory redress for complainants and better administration for the authorities. Since 1989, the Ombudsmen have had power to issue advice on good administrative practice in local government based on experience derived from their investigations. In 2008-2009 the LGO decided on over 17,000 complaints. Where remedies and settlements resulted in a payment being made, the amount of compensation obtained or recommended came to over £2.2m.

A Positive Spin on the Bad Weather!

As we're all only too aware, and this amazing snowy image from space clearly shows - the UK is in the middle of a record breaking cold snap - even a ski centre in Plymouth has had to close due to the conditions! But at least one man in Birmingham is seeing the positive side to his transport and gritting problems!

"Walking in the snow yesterday, it was very cheering to be called 'Good morning' to and have some banter with nearly everyone else on foot. Shows how isolating cars are and also how the British generally deal with adversity with good humour!"

However, on the flip side no prizes for the school in Kent where pupils had coats confiscated because they didn't meet uniform regulations!

Keep warm and cheery everyone, and best wishes for 2010 from all at Civica OPENRevenues

Local Government well represented in New Year Honours

A number of Local Government figures were recognised in the recent New Year Honours List including chairman of the Local Government Association Margaret Eaton who has been made a Dame of the British Empire (DBE) for services to local government.

Other notable awards included:

CBE for services to local government
Cllr Peter Box, leader of Wakefield MDC
Pamela Challis, leader, Castle Point BC.
John Sinnott, chief executive of Leicestershire CC,
Dr John Beer, former executive director of social services, Southampton City Council.
Mavis Champagnie, councillor, Harrow LBC.
Amanda Deeks, CEO, South Gloucestershire Council
Maurice Heaster, deputy leader, Wandsworth LBC
Jane Scott, leader of Wiltshire Council,
Dr Linda Ebbatson, leader of Chester-le-Street DC

MBE for services to local government.
Elizabeth Ducker, leader of South Oxfordshire DC,
Derek Law, corporate director, adult and community services, North Yorkshire CC
Shahda Khan, principal community cohesion officer, Middlesbrough Council
Thomas Evans, councillor, Ceredigion CC.