Valuation Office data
The web site I run (www.entitledto.co.uk) has approached the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) for a data feed for monthly values of Local Housing Allowance. This data is supplied to local authorities and is used by a tool to calculate Local Housing Allowance available on their website. We have not had any joy getting the VOA to supply this data - could you get the data set added to this site?
Hi Phil - you can add requests for new data at the following location:
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/unlocking-service/RequestsAndOffers/
Hope this helps!
but after your being incredibly helpful I'm afraid that OPSI have been less helpful. I posted a request last Thursday as you suggested but nothing has happened since. No acknowledgement of the request, no reply to the follow-up email and no changes on the site. It would be useful to know at least that the request has made it into the system, even if the wheels turn slowly. Can you/anyone help?
I remember when I was working in development that we obtained geodata relating to house prices from Land Registry, could this be an avenue you could try?
Thanks anonymous but I'm afraid the data is held by the VOA not the land registry.
The promise of open data is not quite living up to expectations for me. On going to http://www.opsi.gov.uk/unlocking-service/RequestsAndOffers I discover other requests have been posted but not the one I made. And still no acknowledgement that a request has even been made.
It's been 3.5 weeks now - is there a good time to give up and get on with something more productive? If anyone could tell me that OPSI/VOA/anyone is actually looking at this request I'd be grateful.
Advised by Sir Tim Berners-Lee and Professor Nigel Shadbolt and others, government is opening up data for reuse. This site seeks to give a way into the wealth of government data and is under constant development. We want to work with you to make it better.
We’re very aware that there are more people like you outside of government who have the skills and abilities to make wonderful things out of public data. These are our first steps in building a collaborative relationship with you.
Hi John100. Thanks a million for getting back to me. It's great to know that the wheels are in motion, even if they understandably turn slowly some times. If there is a timetable or process for how requests like our one are handled it would be useful to know more.
If you or colleagues would rather get in contact privately do use the contact us facility on our corporate website at www.solutions.entitledto.co.uk
I represent a business called Fast Trak Solutions - we assist tenants entitled to LHA to find properties in the private rental market. Gaining access to all LHA rates on a monthly basis is critical to our business. At the moment this can only be achieved by individually searching for each permutation, which is incredibly time-consuming and not workable.
We fully support this request for a data feed from the VOA on all LHA rates.
Turn2us would support any application by Entitledto to the Valuation Office Agency around access to a data feed of the monthly values of Local Housing Allowance. We feel that open access to this data could be very useful in the ongoing development of our web and helpline services.
There are now a couple of other posts here from people who would also like to use this data. Will this help to get it released? The request I made has still not been posted at http://www.opsi.gov.uk/unlocking-service/RequestsAndOffers/. Nor have I heard from any other body. Is there anyone out there who could help?
Hi Phil,
We have not been able to reply for a little while due to pre-election restrictions. I will follow up with the unlocking service to get an update on your particular request and come back to you.
Many thanks,
Phil
Hi Phil. Thanks for posting! It's very much appreciated. Please say if it would be easier to talk offline.
Phil
Hi Phil, the data.gov.uk team can also be contacted at team@data.gov.uk
I've been in contact with the VOA a few times over the years trying to access their residential data.
My understanding is that the difficulty they face is that they are part of the HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and therefore subject to the COMMISSIONERS FOR REVENUE AND CUSTOMS ACT 2005. The Act is pretty iron fist in terms of the consequences of wrongful disclose of the data (fine or prison sentence).
There are rumours the VOA may move under the DCLG which assist longer term in getting the data released.
Hi LucyO
Nice to know someone out there reads these things!
All we are really after is a data feed of the information already made available in PDF format at http://www.voa.gov.uk/LHADirect/lha-rates-england.htm. So I don't think your point about confidentiality is relevant. I guess a way of linking postcodes to Broad Rental Market Areas would also be useful, if it is not already available. But I don't think there are any real policy issues other than whether VOA are going to be allowed to run a closed shop on their data.
Do email me if it is easier, but where does your interest originate from?
Phil
How would you like the data feed presented? Xml/Json? Searchable or just dumped?
I take it you want something like https://lha-direct.voa.gov.uk/Secure/LHARateSearch.aspx?SearchType=PostCode
Drop box box "How many people" (1 bed shared eg)
"LA145HU"->"Barrow in Furness"-> "80.55"
Hm... yes... that's do-able
Phil,
I see. What reasons did they give for not providing it?
I too am asking for data that is on their website (you can go on and type in your address and get some info). However they will not provide the full dataset due to inidividual confidentiality. Crazy. I can just go on there and look up the details if I have a postcode.
I work in the private sector and have an interest from a land & property info point of view.
Cheers
Lucy
Lucy,
I too made such a request, nearly a decade ago. I supported it with the fact that I'd been approached by an 'organisation' that had (illegally?) scraped the full data set off the VOA site and offered to sell it to me. I was quite happy to pay the same fee simply to get the data legitimately. VOA were not interested.
Hi Lucy
Sorry for not replying sooner - I'm rather giving up hope here.
VOA's reason for not releasing data is that "we are not considering requests that involve more development resources". The fact that it does not involve any "development resources" is neither here not there.
Unfortunately this entire process appears to be a waste of time. If you have the will to put up a fight about it do put a post back on here or send me a message at phil@entitledto.co.uk
Phil
Hi guys,
Fascinating thread. This may be too late - or the request may have been met, I don't know - but I just wanted to encourage you not to give up. The data you want and the use you are trying to make of it are exactly what the policy is about. Government has the data and uses it in an obscure way that makes it hard to access, you are going to add value and help make people's lives easier.
Write to your constituency MP, explaining the issue. Be very specific - especially, why the task needs no 'development resources', the fact that the data's there, just not in useable form, and the point that you are seeking to add value to Government data exactly as the government's policy encourages you to do, but the officials involved are preventing this. The MP will pass it on to the department (in this case the Treasury) and the minister must answer in person. Also worth copying your letter to the Chair of the Treasury Select Committee, who is Andrew Tyrie MP.
Good luck,
Francis (no connection with this part of govt, just wants the policy to succeed)