Two articles

1.  A Review of Access to Industry Marine Environmental Data

A new report, ‘A Review of Access to Industry Marine Environmental Data’ has just been published. The study was undertaken for PSEG jointly by ABP Marine Environmental Research and Peter Barham Environmental. The work was jointly funded by the Marine Management Organisation, Marine Scotland, MEDIN and The Crown Estate.   The report describes the benefits to the UK which could result from greater use of industry data. The report also identifies barriers to the greater re-use of industry data, which are predominantly focused around (i) raising awareness of what is currently available and (ii) making it easier for industry to deposit data and metadata in appropriate public repositories. These ‘process’ issues seem to be the major hindrance to greater re-use of industry data rather than the basic availability of such data per se.

LINK: http://www.gov.scot/Topics/marine/science/MSCC/PSEG

 2.  Defra Guidance and Data Reforms: Cost, Benefits and Early Feedback’

Defra ‘We would like to draw your attention to the consultation, ‘Defra Guidance and Data Reforms: Cost, Benefits and Early Feedback’, which was launched on 17th December 2015 and will run until the 10th February 2016. The consultation is being conducted as an online survey. The online survey and supporting information may be found at https://consult.defra.gov.uk/better-regulations/defra-guidance-data-reforms. As part of the Red Tape Challenge, Defra committed itself to a fundamental overhaul of its guidance and information requests to make them simpler, quicker and clearer to use. The purpose of this consultation is to invite views from stakeholders on the assumptions, key sensitivities and risks that underpin the estimates of costs and benefits to business contained in the Consultation Impact Assessment. We would also like to invite early feedback from stakeholders on their recent experience of using Defra guidance and reporting information to Defra and its agencies.’

If you need any more information please don’t hesitate to contact us at guidanceanddata@defra.gsi.gov.uk.