Treasury publishes data from the COINS database
News
01 Jul 2010
As part of the prime minister David Cameron’s transparency initiative, the Treasury has taken the unprecedented step of publishing data from the Combined Online Information System (COINS) for 2008-09 and 2009-10 through the datagov website.
Comprising millions of lines, this is the most detailed
COINS data is complex, and the information released today is in its raw form, requiring technical expertise to process. Having access to this information for the first time, institutions and experts will be able to process the data as they wish, and present it in a way that is more accessible to the general public. This move marks an important step toward giving the public a greater understanding of where their taxes are spent, and how their government will deliver on its promise to be more open and transparent. The Treasury will work over the coming months to make sure COINS data published in future is in a simpler, more accessible format. The data published can be accessed through www.data.gov.uk and the guidance on downloading and using the data can be accessed through the Treasury website at http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/coins. Danny Alexander, chief secretary to the Treasury said: “For too long the previous government acted as if the public had no right to know where their hard earned taxes were spent. Today we have lifted that veil of secrecy by releasing detailed spending figures dating back to 2008.
“This data is complex, but this is major step forward and shows we are delivering on our promise to make this government more open and transparent while ensuring we deliver value for money for the taxpayer. I hope people will take the opportunity to scrutinise carefully how their money is being spent – as I am doing every day in preparation for the Spending Review.
We will not stop here - we plan to release more data in the coming months that will be easier for the general public to understand,” he concluded.
Source: Information World Review