The UK Government has recently released its revamped open data site, Data.Gov.uk, and published its Open Data White Paper: Unleashing the Potential.

According to Rufus Pollock of the Open Knowledge Foundation:

The White Paper gestures at a world in which there is “presumption to publish” within government, and in which common standards and formats for publishing data online are adhered to. It also includes a commitment on the part of government fo provide public sector data for free “wherever appropriate and possible”.

The document, written by Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude, highlights the benfits of open data for society at large such as greater transparency and improved public services. The White Paper also explores the way in which open data can unlock economic potential by stimulating the creation of new tools and services.

The data to be released under the new plans will add to the 9,000 datasets already available via data.gov.uk, a data portal powered by the Open Knowledge Foundation’s open-source software CKAN.

Read more about this development on okfn.org.