Postcode database: reply to Geoffrey Cox MP

Geoffrey Cox MP
Torridge and West Devon

Tuesday 3 November 2009

Dear Geoffrey Cox,

Thank you for your letter of 28 October in reply to my email about the postcode database. I am grateful for your speedy response.

Your letter raises a number of points which I feel need to be addressed.

As far as I am aware, this issue is not before courts. Legal action by Royal Mail has forced the developers – ErnestMarples.com – to disable their service.

I am not suggesting placing restrictions upon Royal Mail. The issue here is releasing data which is of public interest. In this case, the developers wish to use the data for solely non-profit purposes with benefits for all citizens.

Any data held by or on behalf of public bodies should be treated as a public, not a commercial, asset. This is the case in the United States and other countries.

In the UK, you may be aware of the Cabinet Office initiative to make public data public. The Digital Engagement blog has further details:
http://blogs.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/digitalengagement/.

A number of local authorities – such as Lichfield DC – are also going down this road.

The government has asked Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the world wide web, to advise on the open data issue. I am encouraged that the Conservative party has also recognised the need for better digital engagement. In this respect, the appointment of MySociety’s Tom Steinberg as an advisor, though seen as controversial by some, is a positive step.

On the question of the postcode database, I do not see why Royal Mail’s overall profitability should determine treatment of public data, especially where it is being used on a non-profit basis and for public benefit.

You comment on the use of early day motions (EDMs). As a former civil servant who used to brief ministers on replying to EDMs, I am aware of the volume of motions that are tabled before the House of Commons. Whilst some EDMs may be viewed as frivolous, in many cases this is the only way to raise awareness of important local or national issues. What would you propose in place of EDMs?

As to the administration cost, again from my experience, I am sure this pales into insignificance compared with the costs of correspondence between MPs and government departments or answering parliamentary questions.

I hope you can support open access to public data, particularly the postcode database, irrespective of signing an EDM.

I would prefer any replies by email as this saves paper and taxpayers money.

Yours sincerely,

Peter McClymont

OT: Free Ernest Marples! reply from Geoffrey Cox MP

Letter from:

Geoffrey Cox Q.C., M.P for Torridge & West Devon

HOUSE OF COMMONS
LONDON SW1A OAA
Wednesday 28th October 2009

Dear Mr McClymont,

Thank you for contacting me about use of the Royal Mail postcode database.

As I am sure you will appreciate, it is difficult for me to offer a detailed comment on an issue that is currently before the courts.

However, it is my understanding that whilst post code information is provided to Royal Mail by local authorities for free, the database itself is compiled and managed by Royal Mail employees, the cost of which is borne by the company.

The rights of the database are therefore owned as an asset by Royal Mail, and I am wary of proposals that would see the Government place additional restrictions on the use of such wholly owned assets by Royal Mail, particularly given the precarious financial state of the company.

As a result, I am reluctant to sign EDM 2000. Since my election I have come to regard Early Day Motions as a pointless absorption of valuable resources. They are seldom debated, rarely brought to a vote and require neither recognition nor response from the Government. They have aptly been described as “parliamentary graffiti” and it has also recently been disclosed that the annual cost of their administration is in excess of £627,000.

I therefore, no longer sign any EDMs, even those with which I sympathise. Thank you again for writing to me.

Yours sincerely,
Geoffrey Cox, Q.C., M.P.
Website: geoffreycox.co.uk

Email: tellgeoffrey@geoffreycox.co.uk

Cox’s letter (pdf 33 kB)

OT: Free Ernest Marples!

FOR THE ATTENTION OF:

Geoffrey Cox MP
Torridge and West Devon

Tuesday 20 October 2009

Dear Geoffrey Cox,

I hope you can support Early Day Motion 2000 -  – which calls for open access to the postcode database for non-profit organisations.

Royal Mail charges very high fees for use of the database, even though much of the information is collected by local authorities which get no reimbursement for their efforts.

The issue has been in the news recently because Royal Mail have successfully closed down access to the database by a number of citizen-run web services. These include alerts to planning applications in your neighbourhood, local job vacancies, real time bus updates, and a hospital and pharmacy lookup service.

These services, built by volunteers, and further citizen-based web developments have been disabled because of Royal Mail’s heavy handed approach.

I do hope you can support this EDM and the general campaign for open access to government and other public data.

I would be happy to provide you with any further background if you require it.

Yours sincerely

[allotment5andahalf/@iamadonut]

—-

Check out Pezholio’s post too.

Get up when it’s dark; get home when it’s dark

That time of year. Even on dry, partly sunny days like today, by the time I roll back to the homestead Mr Sun has his hat on, but is headed over the western horizon.

It maybe beer o’clock, but it’s no good for putting in half an hour or so to help tick off all those tidying up and soil improving jobs.

It’s left to the weekends. In between kitchen cleaning – you don’t expect me to do that during the week – making pizza, more beer and Sky Sports.

I cleared out the finished tomatoes last weekend as well as planting out my onions and garlic. But, Sunday was grim, limiting me to an hour’s work up at the allotment.

A fine weekend ahead, so no excuses. Well, there’s a much needed trip to B&Q for the makings of my wood store, tins of paint and a tool to dismantle the pergola. (I need a spanner with the greatest possible hand generated torque.)

There’s allotment beds to be weeded and dug over. Manure: hopefully some free bags to pick up. Salad to sow in the raised bed. Take down the bean poles. Then, there’s always kindling to chop. Not to mention sorting out the overgrown garden and the shed.

Oh yes. The shed. It needs re-felting and a jolly good clear out.

So, that’s enough words. Action stations!

Gossip and gardening

Planting interrupted a good session of village gossip.

I’m sure you don’t care about the three types of garlic* that I put in this morning or the afternoon session planting out two rows of onion sets (the autumn favourite Radar).

What you’d really like to hear is the latest buzz around the allotments. Of more interest than my weeding the cabbages is who has put up the latest allotment structure and which villager has penned a vitriolic letter.

Not that I’m one to gossip.

* – Thermidrome, Therador and Sprint.

Kick out the jams

Easing out of three weeks of poor health: spent three hours this morning picking blackberries in the lanes around the village. This afternoon, I made three and a half pounds of jam.

If not cured, preserved.

Late summer

I don’t know about where you live, but summer here in North Devon has been another washout. As a tease, we’ve has the most glorious weather since last Wednesday.

Warm sun means the remaining salad crops have had a late burst of ripening. So, our household has had a glut of tomatoes and cucumbers.

Slice the crusts off?

Salad days

Finally. Looks like this year – yep, another damp summer – could be the year that I get a bumper crop of tomatoes.

I’ve assimilated loads of advice and tips. I sowed seeds in god time. Planted out when the plants were nice and healthy. The soil’s good. My magic liquid feed has been applied regularly. Thanks to Mrs Allotment 5 1/2 the greenhouse has been kept warm to ripen the fruits.

Everything else is down to sunshine. Intuitively, I’d say it’s not been great. But, we’ve had good stretches of sun in May and June. Plus, the last few weeks have seen a few decent days.

All told, I’m pleased that we’re getting a constant and growing stream of sweet little toms – Gardener’s Delight, indeed. Moneymakers are on the way.

Meanwhile, the salad bed keeps producing bags of sandwich filling. There should even be a cucumber or two ready by the end of the week.

Spag bol (without the bol)

Shenshyu onions make a great bol-less, bolognese. My garlic, basil and oregano give it an extra kick.

Meanwhile, I lifted a few desiree potatoes. A few worm and slug eaten, otherwise looking fine. I can leave them for a week or so, assuming the current clement weather stays.

And, all the red onions are up. Thanks to slug leaf damage, many of the bulbs stopped growing a few weeks back. But, a better crop than last year; there’ll be a better crop next year.

As ever, weeding required. There’s some right nasty stuff to dig up.

We have lift off

I lifted the rest of the yellow onions this evening as, according to the forecast, that’s it for dry weather for a few days.

A bumper crop, if I don’t say so myself. I can, therefore, recommend Shenshyu onions!