Open Access to Welsh Government publications and information - presented at CLIC Open Access event on 24th July 2014

1. Open access to Welsh
Government publications
and information
Stephen Gregory
Business & Legal Team Leader
Welsh Government Library & Archive Services
Stephen.Gregory2@wales.gsi.gov.uk
24th July 2014
CLIC – Cardiff Libraries in Co-operation
Open all hours - research, repositories, publishing &
borrowing

2. WG as a Publisher
• Publish >770 p.a. (books, reports,
guidance) (In 2013: Penguin published ca 1500 items; OUP
4200 items)
• Cymru.gov.uk = 90,000 pages with sub-
sites e.g. http://business.wales.gov.uk/ ;
www.planninginspectorate.wales.gov.uk
• Numerous others - possibly 300? e.g.
www.sell2wales.gov.uk,
www.visitwales.com, www.wales.com.
• Social media channels

3. 0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1999
2001
2003
2005
2007
2009
2011
2013
2nd Assembly 2003-2006.
3rd Assembly 2007-2011.
4th Assembly 2012-
Number of items added to the Pubs
Archive
Average 770 p.a.

4. Proactive Open Access
• Publications:
– Web site
– Social media & News channels
– Stakeholder mailing lists – web site sign up
– Some hard copy
– But also the Publications Catalogue ….

5. ?*#!

6. http://wales.gov.uk/about/foi/publications-catalogue/

8. Pubs Catalogue
• Manually trap and catalogue WG
publications
• Publications request option  FPCC ca.
2000 p.a.
• Including increasing number of full text file
attachments, details of original web links,
and supporting text.
• Our Digital Archive / Repository

11. Reactive Publishing - FoI

12. Origins of FoI Requests

13. FoI Outcomes

14. No information provided
Other exemptions/ exceptions: FOIA, EIRs 2004 or DPA

15. FoI Complaints & Review
• Internal review – 2013: 51 requests
internally reviewed
– 70% of original decisions are up-held
– 20% complaints successful (full or partly)
– 6% ICO advise no need for internal review
• Referral to ICO (2013: 13 complaints)
• First-tier Tribunal (Information Rights)
(2013: 3 cases)

16. Records Transfer
• Working towards 20 year rule.
• TNA currently our usual place of deposit
• Commencing project on transfer of
electronic files
• Security preservation and access for the
future …
• but should there be a National Welsh
Archive

17. • In summary
Welsh Government:
• Proactive publisher of information – open
government
• Reactive publisher of information
• Publications Catalogue  repository
• Archiving materials for future research and
study
Stephen.Gregory2@wales.gsi.gov.uk
@StepGreg