On Fri, Jan 14, 2011 at 07:14:02PM +0200, Stefan Magdalinski wrote: > > On 14 Jan , at 18:19:03, Mark Goodge wrote: > > > On 14/01/2011 15:38, Javier Ruiz Diaz wrote: > >> > >> As to what is affected, this report is probably useful > >> http://www.berr.gov.uk/files/file45136.pdf > >> > >> "The study focused on the six largest trading funds by data provision: > >> the Met Office, Ordnance Survey, the UK Hydrographic Office, the Land > >> Registry, Companies House and the Driver Vehicle Licensing Agency." > > > > That's an interesting list of data sources, and they have very different > > public perceptions. Most people, for example, would argue that DVLA data is > > too open, rather than not being open enough - a common complaint is that > > it's too easy for commercial organisations to obtain the names and > > addresses of registered keepers. There are also significant privacy issues > > related to Land Registry and Companies House data. > > > > Ah, the classic DPA/FOIA switcheroo that MPs used to claim they > should be exempt from FOI - but also totally spurious. Personally > identifiable information isn't something the government should be > publishing (and generally doesn't - the Opt-in Electoral Register > being a heinous example), but that's comprehensively covered by the > DPA.
It's not so simple for the land registry... I personally think it should all be public. If you own land, that is fundamentally a public fact. You're getting the state to protect your ownership of it, and you expect people not to walk on it. Fundamentally, everyone has to know who owns what for that to work. But I doubt the Daily Mail would have good headlines if a Government published all the land registry data. It would mean that where everyone who owned their house lived was public information (by reverse search), which most people wouldn't like... So you end up in the land of fudge, doing things like only publishing land registry data for commercial property, or for non-owner occupier houses and similar. Messy. Francis _______________________________________________ developers-public mailing list [email protected] https://secure.mysociety.org/admin/lists/mailman/listinfo/developers-public Unsubscribe: https://secure.mysociety.org/admin/lists/mailman/options/developers-public/archive%40mail-archive.com
