Research into how open data can aid efforts to eradicate corruption finds areas of improvement for UK Government and public bodies

London, 25^th June 2015 – Building on a year-long piece of research, TI-UK is publishing a set of recommendations to the UK Government and public bodies on how they can improve their data provision to help with the fight against corruption.

Prime Minister David Cameron has begun his second term in office by addressing corruption as a priority. An open and transparent government is a vital aspect of this agenda and open data can play an important role in tackling corruption. Our 2011 report Corruption in the UK found that there is a lack of data of data relevant to corruption in the UK, making it difficult to analyse and address the problem.

Dr. Robert Barrington, Executive Director Transparency International UK said:

“Transparency is a proven means of deterring and detecting corruption and making institutions accountable, as well as helping improve the balance of power between public institutions and the citizens they are designed to serve. For this reason we view an open government as an essential element in combatting corruption in the UK and call on the Government and public bodies to do more to become a truly transparent country.”

Transparency International has made 45 proposals for the UK Government and public bodies to take forward as part of its UK Anti-Corruption Plan. TI-UK has also made three major recommendations that they should take forward as a matter of priority:

• Empower an open data authority with the necessary resources and powers to maintain consistent standards of proactive disclosure across the public sector and public services that are outsourced to the private sector.
• Bring forward legislation to reform the statutory register of lobbyists, so it covers both in-house and consultant lobbyists and provides meaningful detail about lobbying activities in the UK.
• To improve detection and deterrence of lobbying abuses we recommend the UK Government:
  1. Improves the timeliness and quality of data published about meetings between lobbyists and Ministers, Permanent Secretaries and Special Advisers.
  2. Extend this proactive publication to include minutes of meetings involving major decisions.
  3. Publish details of all secondments to and from private sector.

Read and download the report here.

***ENDS***

Transparency International is the civil society organisation leading the fight against corruption

Media Contact:

Dominic Kavakeb

dominic.kavakeb@transparency.org.uk

0207 922 7962 / 07964 560340