Lack of government data-sharing hindering social mobility research

Better sharing of routinely collected data could accelerate progress towards improving social mobility and reducing child poverty, as well as generate significant financial savings, according to a new UCL report published today. The report, authored by Dr Dean Machin (UCL Philosophy) for the Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission, examines the ways in which data can be better used to inform public policy - and the barriers currently preventing this from happening. It makes a series of recommendations which include: Legislating early in the next Parliament to remove the legal barriers to data sharing Urging UCAS and other non-government bodies holding important data, to share this with researchers and policy-makers. Organising lobbying to ensure that the expected EU Data Protection Regulation does not inadvertently render social mobility and other important research practically impossible. Extending the role of the Administrative Data Research Network (ADRN) Urgently initiating research to establish the public benefits of better data sharing - and to put a figure on the significant financial savings this could generate. Report author Dr Machin said: "Administrative data collected routinely by government and other public bodies is extremely valuable to social mobility and child poverty researchers and policy-makers. It can be used to learn more about problems, as well as assess and improve policy interventions.