Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to establish a UK National Capability which treats data held by public bodies in the UK as a national asset.

Data is a critical resource for government, which enables more efficient, effective public services. The Public Accounts Committee held an inquiry in the use of data across government in June 2019. Government accepted many of its recommendations in late January 2020. DCMS and Cabinet Office are aiming to write to the Committee to set out our plans for the use of data across government.

While there are no specific plans for establishing a UK National Capability, DCMS is continuing to lead cross-government work to progress the UK's National Data Strategy, so that we can fully and responsibly unlock the power of data, for people and organisations across the UK.

We are not waiting for the strategy to refine our approach to data as a strategic asset. One recent example is the announcement in the March 2020 Budget that HM Land Registry, which holds location data that is important for the government and the economy, will be provided with £392 million to transition from a Trading Fund into part of central government.