PSI Review Panel reports!

London: 30th April 2007

The Review Panel of the UK Advisory Panel on Public Sector Information (APPSI) has published a report in relation to requests by Intelligent Addressing Limited and Ordnance Survey to review certain recommendations made in the Report of the Office of Public Sector Information of 13 July 2006 relating to a complaint by Intelligent Addressing Limited (SO 42/8/4). The report is dated the 30 April 2007

The Review Board of APPSI considers complaints referred to APPSI under Regulation 18 or, when requested, to review recommendations of OPSI under Regulation 20 of The Re-use of Public Sector Information Regulations 2005.

The APPSI Review Panel report makes the following recommendations:

• The Government should consider whether it would be preferable to combine IFTS and the Regulations into one coherent scheme (consistent with the requirements of the Directive).

• Consideration should be given by the Government to the possibility of appealing decisions of OPSI relating to IFTS.

• The Best Practice Guide should be reviewed and amended to clarify the concept of ‘public task’, following appropriate consultation with relevant Government departments, and each trading fund should then produce and publish a statement of scope of its public task consistent with such an amended Best Practice Guide.

• OPSI should contact the OFT, in accordance with the ‘Memorandum of understanding between the Office of Fair Trading and the Office of Public Sector Information’, dated 28th July 2005, and apprise the OFT of the findings of this report.

• The Government should consider whether the APPSI Review Board’s procedures are appropriate or in need of revision in light of this Report.

• The Government should reconsider (a) whether an ADR process for PSI disputes can be accommodated within the Regulations and (b) whether the remit of an APPSI Review Board should be extended, at least to include IFTS issues.

• The Government, as a matter of priority, should re-assess the extent to which the Regulations and Government policy on PSI are aligned and, if there is not full alignment, then the Regulations should be amended accordingly.