[open-government] Open data on UK arms exports

[Tim Davies]

Hey all,

Following from reading David Robinson and Harlan Yu's paper this week about
the risk that 'open government' looses it's 'hard political edge' through
an ambiguous over general focus on open government data (
https://freedom-to-tinker.com/blog/harlanyu/new-ambiguity-open-government),
I thought the following might be of interest:

(I've also written a bit here about how attempts to get this data the
governments through 'data unlocking service' met with no response:
http://www.timdavies.org.uk/2012/03/08/focussing-on-open-data-where-it-matters-accountability-and-action/
)

From: http://www.caat.org.uk/press/archive.php?url=20120308prs

*UK arms exports revealed*

A new web application <http://www.caat.org.uk/resources/export-licences/>,
developed by Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT), will enable easy public
access to a wide range of information on UK arms export licences.

Until now the data, compiled by the Export Control
Organisation<http://www.bis.gov.uk/exportcontrol>(ECO)
in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS), was difficult
to access, use and understand. The new CAAT app, available via CAAT's
website, transforms the accessibility of the data.

The salient features are:

   - Open access - anyone can view data without registering and can make
   and refine searches in real time.
   - Data has been disaggregated, providing itemised licences with ratings
   and values.
   - Comprehensive searchability (including of commonly-required groupings,
   for example by region of the world or type of weaponry).
   - Graphs of values of items licensed are provided alongside listings of
   licences.
   - Explanations of terms are available throughout (often through
   mouse-overs).
   - Revoked licences are identified with the initial licence approvals.
   - Individual pages/searches (unique urls) can be linked to directly.
   - It conforms to basic accessibility standards, including the use of a
   screen reader or text-only browser.
   - The full raw data is available as csv files for download.

Ian Prichard, CAAT Research Co-ordinator, says:

*It is hard to think of an area of government activity that demands
transparency more than arms export licensing. The new web app provides
official information in a format that substantially increases transparency
of the licensing system and, hopefully, will lead to greater accountability.
*

*The lack of access to detailed, easy-to-access information has been a
barrier to the public, media and parliamentarians being able to question
government policies and practices. These practices include routine arming
of authoritarian regimes such as Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Egypt.*

*As well as providing more information in and of itself, we hope the web
app will prompt the government to apply its own open data policies to arms
exports. and substantially increase the level and accessibility of
information available.*

*Background*

The arms export licensing process is carried out by the Export Control
Organisation based in the Department of Business Innovation and Skills,
with input from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Ministry of
Defence (MoD) and, where development issues are involved, the Department
for International Development (DFID). The BIS database can be found
here:<https://www.exportcontroldb.bis.gov.uk/eng/fox/sdb/SDBHOME>
.

The government database contains information on strategic export licences
granted, refused or revoked by the government. These can be divided into
military licences and dual-use licences (ie have both military and civilian
uses). Official licence application statistics are updated on a quarterly
basis, usually three months after the end of the quarter.

Unfortunately, the BIS database is impenetrable to all but determined or
experienced users. It is constrained by poor design, aggregated data that
makes analysis tortuous and a general government reticence to provide
timely, detailed information on arms exports. The data is not provided in a
standard form ready for use by external users (although BIS has said that
it is not adverse, as a matter of principle, to doing this).

Nor does the BIS database conform to basic accessibility standards. Its
log-in process and complex forms would be impossible to access for someone
using a screen reader or a text-only browser, and considerably more
difficult to access for someone who couldn't use a mouse, or who struggled
with English - thus contravening most of the government's own accessibility
guidelines.

While addressing as many of these issues as possible, the CAAT web
application is limited in what it can display by the ECO data. For example,
some data is impossible to disaggregate and there is no information
available on companies or brand names.

CAAT regards the web application as a first step in making data more
accessible and transparent and intends to develop the application further
in response to feedback. Hopefully this would take place alongside a
drastic improvement by the government in its arms data provision.

*Government commitments on open data*

On becoming Prime Minister, David Cameron acknowledged theimportance of
transparency across
government<http://www.number10.gov.uk/news/statements-and-articles/2010/05/letter-to-government-departments-on-opening-up-data-51204>
and
called for "new standards of transparency" with requests for data addressed
with "a presumption in favour of transparency". The Government established
a Public Sector Transparency Board which set out "Draft Public Data
Principles”<http://data.gov.uk/blog/new-public-sector-transparency-board-and-public-data-transparency-principles>
.

On 7 February 2012, Business secretary Vince Cable emphasised theimportance
of transparency<http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201212/cmhansrd/cm120207/wmstext/120207m0001.htm>
to
the export licensing systems, stating: "Transparency is also crucial
because confidence in the workings of the export licensing system needs to
be shared by Parliament and by the public. The system should not just be
working properly; it should also be seen to do so." He made a number of
proposals to increase the amount of information made available to the
public.

*ENDS*

For further information please contact CAAT's Media Coordinator, Kaye
Stearman on 020 7281 0297 or mobile 07990 673 232 or emailpress at caat.org.uk.


-- 


http://www.timdavies.org.uk
07834 856 303.
@timdavies

Co-director of Practical Participation:
http://www.practicalparticipation.co.uk
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