Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to his Department's Blueprint for Modern Digital Government, published on 21 January 2025, what plans he has to increase secure data sharing between departments and public bodies.

GDS is leading work to improve the way we share, govern and use data across government and the wider public sector. Strengthening and extending our digital and data public infrastructure is one of six priorities identified in the Blueprint for Modern Digital Government.

This includes developing guidance, standards and tools for fast and secure data exchange, such as a mandate for the publication of a standard set of Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) by public sector organisations, and the creation of a National Data Library to manage public sector data as a national strategic resource.

We are also driving forward use of the data sharing provisions of the Digital Economy Act 2017 to target and improve public services to citizens as well as addressing barriers to data sharing more widely.