Formation and accountability of the GI Panel
The formation of the Panel was announced by Yvette Cooper MP, Minister at the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister on 4 April 2005 with the following statement:
"The GI Panel will focus on medium to long term issues and will encourage more effective, extensive and systematic use of geographic information and will provide regular short reports to Ministers. This high-level advice will complement the advice provided to the ODPM Minister with responsibility for Ordnance Survey by the Director General and Chief Executive of Ordnance Survey."
Membership of the panel aims to ensure broad representation of key interest groups in government, the private sector and the wider Geographic Information industry across the United Kingdom. The GI Panel will initially be chaired by the Director General and Chief Executive of Ordnance Survey. Panel membership will be reviewed regularly to ensure that it continues to adequately reflect the user community and has sufficient experience of the key issues.
Ministers are keen that the GI Panel is aware of, and reflects as appropriate, interests and views of all stakeholders in the industry. Interested parties are encouraged to share their views with panel members in advance of meetings. The panel will operate in a transparent manner, with outputs being made public.
In announcing the panel in 2004, Yvette Cooper commented: "I look forward to receiving the Panel's reports, which will be influential in making Geographical Information play an ever-more significant part in decisions made in the United Kingdom".
In May 2006 responsibility for the UK Geographical Information Panel passed to the Department for Communities and Local Government, Yvette Cooper MP retaining Ministerial responsibility for the Panel.
In July 2007, Baroness Andrews, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government and the customer Minister for Geographic Information for government, assumed Ministerial responsibility for the Panel.
![GI Panel [Logo]](/graphics/gui/GIP-logo.gif){kind=logo}