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Conservative plans to open up government data and spending information will create "£6 billion in additional value" for the UK, the party has said.
"This boost to British jobs will come from the synergies and positive spillover benefits that result from businesses and social entrepreneurs building new applications and services using previously locked-up government data," according to the Tory manifesto on technology published today.
The party says it will "set free a wide range of government datasets, including the monthly online publication of local crime data on a street-by-street basis, education and health performance data and detailed information about all of DFID's projects and spending programmes including the results of impact evaluations".
"In addition, we will publish online the energy consumption of all buildings in Whitehall.
"To open up government spending to public scrutiny, we will publish online, and in an open and standardised format, every item of central government and Quango expenditure over £25,000.
"In addition, from 1 January 2011, a Conservative government will publish government contracts for goods and services worth over £25,000 in full."
The Tories claim this will both cut wasteful spending and "according to new research by Dr Rufus Pollock of Cambridge University, the lead author of the HM Treasury report on the economic value of open data, it will also create an estimated £6 billion in additional value for the UK".
In their technology manifesto the party says if elected it will "throw open the doors of Parliament by introducing a technology enabled Public Reading Stage that will involve the public in the legislative process, and harness the wisdom of crowds to improve bills and spot potential problems before legislation is implemented".
Other pledges include:
- We will be the first country in Europe to extend superfast 100 mbps broadband across most of the population.
- We will create a level playing field for open source IT in government procurement and open up government IT contracts to SMEs by breaking up large IT projects into smaller components.
- We will also create a small IT development team in government – a 'government skunkworks' – that can develop low cost IT applications in-house and advise on the procurement of large projects.
- We will build a smart energy grid that enables a huge increase in the use of renewable energy technologies, and we will invest in the next generation of wind, marine and carbon capture technologies.
However the government's controversial Digital Economy Bill continues to prompt concern from campaigners, with the Conservatives being urged to be more critical of it.
Jim Killock, executive director of the Open Rights Group, said: "These are welcome ideas, but it is totally contradictory to propose building a future dependent on the internet and support plans to disconnect families as a punishment.
"The Open Rights Group calls for Cameron to ditch support for disconnection, which would kill open wifi, damage businesses and libraries and punish the innocent."
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