From the BBC:
Government must do more to embrace Web 2.0 tools and communities, says a report.
…
The report said that some public data, such as post codes, was already widely used but much more could be done to open up access to official information.It said public data should be published in open formats to encourage use.
The review, called The Power of Information, aimed to find out more about Web 2.0 tools and communities to see how the government can get involved to help Britons make the most of this "new pattern of information creation and use".
…
The review was intended to "explore the role of government in helping to maximise the benefits for citizens from this new pattern of information creation and use."
…
The report encouraged the government to do more to ensure a good fit between web communities and official information to "grasp the opportunities that are emerging in terms of the creation, consumption and re-use of information".
…
The authors recommended that the government work more closely with existing sites and communities that share official aims; do more to help innovators use public data and work to ensure people know what to do with public data and how to get at it.Among 15 specific recommendations the report said the government should not set up its own sites if existing web communities do a good job of getting information to people.
It also said it should speed up efforts to put data in open formats and publish under terms that let people freely use it.
They've linked to a PDF of the report at Power of Information report.