Tuesday 17th June

This Ofcom Consumer Panel video should have been showed to those of us who attended the IPPR Digital Inclusion event I wrote about recently (30th April) and it effectively demonstrates why we need infrastructural development like Newham's Telecommunications Convergence project!


Most of my time, today, was spent in dealing with the inevitable post-holiday correspondence backlog, and I got through about half of it, I suppose. It included the minutes from a "Tell Us Once" workshop on 22nd May, which I was unable to attend because it clashed with Socitm's Board meeting. This was closely followed by a letter copied from the DVLA (Driver & Vehicle Licensing Authority) explaining why they were unable to allow Local Authority access to check vehicle data in connection with the issuance of parking permits. "Regulations permit the disclosure of vehicle data to Local Authorities for the investigation of an offence or a decriminalised parking contravention, or where there is 'reasonable cause' to do so. The term 'reasonable cause' is not defined in the Regulations, but DVLA has always taken the view that disclosure for administrative purpose does not constitute a 'reasonable cause' for disclosure. Therefore, the Agency could not lawfully disclose the data."

The DVLA also has, of course, to meet its obligations under the Data Protection Act, but this would easily be dealt-with by asking Parking Permit applicants to give permission for their data on the DVLA site, to enable the provision of a more convenient service. If applicants don't wish to give permission, they can troop along to the Council with their proof of ownership, the same as they do now.

It seems, still, that we often find it far easier to cite reasons for not transforming Government, than for making life a little more convenient for citizens by just telling us once, and that progress will therefore remain slow until we all, in public service, grasp this nettle.


I finished the day in telephone discussion with Adrian of my current priorities, which include drafting the next Board meeting agenda, and the arrangement of various meetings – the NAC (National Advisory Council), CPSG (Corporate Policy & Strategy Group – aka "Socitm Futures", and probably to be renamed as such) modus operandi, and Benchmarking next steps – to name but three. I also have to draft my presentation for next week's GMIS (Government Management Information Sciences) Conference in Atlantic City, so I will have plenty to occupy me tomorrow, when I am again working from home.