UK's National Data Strategy | Driving Forward The Public And Private Sectors' Use Of Data

• Published date: 13 July 2021
• Subject Matter: Government, Public Sector, Privacy, Data Protection, Terrorism, Homeland Security & Defence, Government Contracts, Procurement & PPP
• Law Firm: Osborne Clarke
• Author: Mr Mark Taylor, Will Robertson, Emily Jones, Catherine Hammon and Tamara Quinn

How will businesses be impacted by the government's strategy for promoting better use of data to improve its own work and to boost the wider digital ecosystem?

On 18 May 2021, the UK's Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) published its response to the recent consultation on its National Data Strategy (announced in September 2020, as we reported).

The strategy sets out the UK government's plans for promoting and facilitating the use of data, built on the recognition that data is an asset that "used responsibly, can deliver economic and public benefits across the UK". The government's ambition is to "harness the power of data to drive growth and innovation, fuel new jobs and businesses, support scientific research, revolutionise the public sector and create a fairer society for all".

We have reviewed the government's response to the consultation with a view to highlighting how implementation of the strategy and delivery of the five missions could affect private sector businesses.

Overarching themes

Respondents emphasised that the strategy should benefit "everyone, everywhere". Fairness in data is one aspect; fairness from data is another, using data analytics to promote inclusion, tackle social inequalities, and promote post-pandemic "levelling up". The importance of a high level of public support for the use of data was also emphasised. The government plans an ongoing, transparent dialogue with the public and stakeholders as the implementation of this strategy proceeds, and announced the creation of a new body to support that objective, the National Data Strategy Forum.

In relation to using data to "build back better" after the pandemic, the response reiterates plans to invest in connectivity across the whole UK, as well as current and planned initiatives to boost data literacy in the workforce and in university curricula.

Data can also support the drive to "build back greener". The government plans to use the...