Reply to OGN Letter: Ongoing delay to finalising the UK Open Government Action Plan
You can download a copy of the letter here (.pdf 191kb)
TO2019/05027/DC
27 May 2019
Andreas Pavlou
UK Open Government Network
Involve
18 Victoria Park Square
London E2 9PF
Dear Mr Pavlou
Thank you for your letter dated May 1 regarding the ongoing delay to the launch of the UK’s fourth National Action Plan for Open Government, and the impact on active and meaningful collaboration between government and civil society.
For the past few months, my officials have been working with cross-government policy leads to finalise the content of the final National Action Plan (NAP). I am sorry for the delay in this work but am very pleased to inform you that the NAP will be published on the 28th of May 2019, prior to the Open Government Partnership Summit in Ottawa. The 4th National Action Plan has many ambitious commitments:
● Opening up policy making to citizens
● Transparency around publicly owned natural resources
● Improvements to the quality and quantity of data we publish as a government to show accountability and drive improvements in the way we deliver public services through third party contractors.
Your Civil Society colleagues are already working with relevant government departments on the delivery of the commitments held within the document and your involvement is much appreciated.
The creation and implementation of the Action Plan would be a limited and fruitless exercise without the critical friendship of Civil Society organisations throughout its development.
Open Government and Civil Society engagement remain a key priority for government. We value the challenge and counsel of our counterparts in the sector and look forward to working alongside your networks to deliver on the present commitments, and develop new ones in due course.
Yours ever
MARGOT JAMES MP
Minister for Digital and the Creative Industries