UK Data Access Practices Felix Ritchie

Overview The legislative model The data model The security model Developments Current key concerns

The legislative model (1) Mixture of statutes and common law until… Statistics and Registration Services Act 2007 –Didn’t abolish existing gateways for research –Created a new gateway – ‘Approved Researchers’ –Allowed for cross-govt data sharing… –…but not for research purposes unless specifically agreed –Clarified limits of European data sharing –ONS given a statutory duty to support research

The legislative model (2) No theoretical limits on who can have access to enormous range of govt data –both within govt and in academia …but not a free-for-all ONS has a duty to protect confidentiality –even for Approved Researchers –data release has to be consistent with need → the data model

The data model (1) ‘Spectrum’ of access points balancing –value of data –ease of use –disclosure risk for a given level of confidentiality, maximise data use and convenience no ‘one-size-fits-all’ solution –no absolute prohibitions –trade-off is made explicit –users determine appropriate level of access

Type of access NoneVML ONS sites VML Govt sites Secure data service Special licences Licensed data archive Internet Anonymi- sation LittleComplete SDC of inputs NoneComplete Restric- tions on users ManyNone SDC of outputs CompleteNone Examples: Census data Original data Data for ONS linking ONS contractor Anon. CD-ROM Web tables Enterprise data Original data Identified data for ONS linking Identifiable data for analysis Govt. users only Web tables RDCs Use of confidential data: the access spectrum

The data model (2) Options should cover most cases –Can’t be perfect in every case –But the jump from one solution to another reflects data utility and patterns of research use Pretty efficient –Fairly transparent –Users balance their own costs/benefits –Economies of scale delivering mass solutions –eg UKDA, VML How do we define/describe access points? → the security model

The security model (VML version) valid statistical purpose trusted researchers anonymisation of data technical controls around data disclosure control of results safe projects + safe people + safe data + safe outputs  safe use + safe setting

Safety criterion VMLSDS (provisional) One-off cases “Special Licence” UK Data Archive Internet People*ARs/ Civil Servants ARs? UK academicsAnyone ProjectsScrutiny by MRP Academic projects None Data (in theory) Data (in practice) Any Unidentified Unlinkable? N/A Anonymised, low risk of identification Anonymised, almost no risk of identification Anonymised, no risk of identification SettingsSecure thin client ?Use on restricted IT systems Use by academics only None OutputsONS staff checked SDS staff checked, ONS guidelines ?Researchers agree to follow ONS guidelines No checking Use of confidential data: the access spectrum for ONS data at present *AR = Approved Researcher

Access: a summary No theoretical restrictions wide ranging and flexible legal basis

Remote access in the UK: the VML (1) Probably the most important research data resource in the UK after the UK Data Archive (and the internet) Expanding access from other govt depts. Data acquisitions: –internal ONS versions of social datasets –Other government dept data –Administrative data –Census 2011 detailed microdata?

Remote access in the UK: the VML (2) Highly theorised –Particularly in disclosure control Strong researcher relationship –compulsory training gives initial investment in researcher buy-in Next stage: full cost-benefit analysis –Planning model in context of new alternatives –CBA to include purpose of RDC

Developments in remote access VML clones being set up in academia –Possibly elsewhere in govt too –No possibility of VML being accessible over internet in near future –Likely to develop into a two-tier system VML practices and models adopted –for increasing range of data –across wider range of operations

Current key concerns IT –lack of resource –still some basic operational issues unresolved Delays in increasing access points –partly money, partly IT, partly culture Demand growth –30%-50% each year –Likely to be higher

Current potential concerns Potential in Statistics Act –possibility for ONS’ policies to be challenged –surprising (unwelcome) demands for information? social data in VML partially a pre-emptive response New data types bringing new rules Fragmentation of RDC practice in UK

Background concern: fear of the new Relative risk still poorly understood –Example VML temporarily closed for potential security flaw One data area returned to old non-VML solution: letting external visitors log on using ONS staff usernames VML was re-opened after a week for ONS staff and only three weeks later for external visitors But the flaw could only be exploited by ONS staff… Resistance to virtual solutions in favour of familiar –remote access always seen as a limitation despite much better data quality –‘distributed access’ no substitute for ‘distributed data’

Not current key concerns Staff resources –Fast training time –Supportive researcher base researcher buy-in => very lean processes Methodological issues –RDC-specific SDC methods proving robust Legal issues –Statistics law so far proving flexible enough to provide reasonable responses to all needs “reasonable”=ONS and researchers happy that balance between access and confidentiality is fair

Summary Clear legislative model and strong theoretical basis –policy decisions relatively easy Main difficulty for ONS is managing expansion of demand –meeting ONS internal needs (just, for now) –long way off meeting external demands

Contact Felix Ritchie Microdata Analysis and User Support

VML resources G6 G7 EO AO/AA SEO HEO/RO G7 HEO/RO Operations and analysisStrategic resources HEO/RO Strategic management Operational management Operations Support Target June 09 Minimum Current