Office of Public Sector Information 410474 218224994 2008-06-09T18:45:02Z Walshga 152508 /* History */ The '''Office of Public Sector Information''' ('''OPSI''') is the body responsible for the operation of '''Her Majesty's Stationery Office''' (usually abbreviated as '''HMSO''') and of other public information services of the United Kingdom. OPSI is part of the [[The National Archives]] of the [[United Kingdom]] and it is responsible for [[Crown copyright#United Kingdom|Crown copyright]]. OPSI announced on [[June 21]], [[2006]] that it was merging with [[The National Archives]] to create a joined-up approach to information management within government. This merger took place in October 2006. OPSI continues to discharge its roles and responsibilities from within the structure of The National Archives. ==Controller of OPSI== The Controller of HMSO is also the Director of OPSI. HMSO continues to operate from within the expanded remit of OPSI. The Controller of HMSO also holds the offices of Queen's Printer of Acts of Parliament, Queen's Printer for Scotland and Government Printer for Northern Ireland. By virtue of holding these offices OPSI publishes, through HMSO, the ''[[London Gazette]]'', ''[[Edinburgh Gazette]]'', ''[[Belfast Gazette]]'' and all legislation in the United Kingdom, including [[Acts of Parliament in the United Kingdom|Acts of Parliament]], [[Act of the Scottish Parliament|Acts of the Scottish Parliament]] and [[Statutory Instrument (UK)|Statutory Instrument]]s. The Controller of HMSO is appointed by Letters Patent to the office of Queen's Printer of Acts of Parliament. This office is separate from the functions of OPSI. Historically the role of Queen's [or King's] Printer extended to other official publishing responsibilities, e.g. the rights to print, publish and import the [[King James Bible]] and [[Book of Common Prayer]] within [[England]], [[Wales]] and [[Northern Ireland]]. The current holder of this office is [[Cambridge University Press]]. ==History== HMSO was established as a new department of [[HM Treasury]] on [[5 April]] [[1786]], when [[John Mayor]] was appointed as its first "Superintendent"<ref name=HMSO>{{cite web | last = Office of Public Sector Information web site | title = The History of Her Majesty's Stationary Office | url=http://www.opsi.gov.uk/about/hmso-history.htm | accessdate = 2008-06-09 }}</ref>. From [[1822]], all government departments were required to buy [[stationery]] through the open competitions and [[Call for bids|tenders]] operated by HMSO. HMSO also took over as official publisher from ''[[Hansard]]'' in [[1882]]. In [[1889]], HMSO was granted [[Letters Patent]] under which it was appointed as Queen's Printer of Acts of Parliament ("printer to Her Majesty of all Acts of Parliament"). These letters patent also appointed the Controller of HMSO as administrator of the rights of Crown copyright. HMSO also took over publication of the ''London Gazette'' in the same year.<ref name=HMSO/> Most of its publishing functions were privatised in [[1996]] as a separate company known as [[The Stationery Office]] (TSO), but HMSO continued as a separate part of the Cabinet Office. Prior to [[1996]], it was the publisher of virtually all government material, such as [[Command paper]]s, legislation and official histories. After 1996 the Controller of HMSO remained Queen's Printer of Acts of Parliament and retained the role of administering Crown copyright. The privatisation was not the final stage in HMSO's changing role. As part of the implementation of the [[European Union]] [[European Union directive|directive]] on the re-use of public sector information, it was decided that there was a need for a dedicated body to be the principal focal point for advising on and regulating the operation of public sector information re-use. That new body, created in 2005 is the OPSI.<ref name=HMSO/> ==See also== *[[The Stationery Office]] ==References== {{reflist}} == External links == * [http://www.opsi.gov.uk/ Office of Public Sector Information website] ** [http://www.opsi.gov.uk/about/index.htm OPSI - About] * [http://www.tso.org.uk/ The Stationery Office website] * [http://www.epsiplus.net/ eContentplus Thematic Network to support the implementation of the European Directive on Public Sector Information (PSI) Re-use] [[Category:Public bodies and task forces of the United Kingdom government]] [[Category:United Kingdom copyright law]] [[da:Office of Public Sector Information]] [[de:Her Majesty's Stationery Office]] [[no:Office of Public Sector Information]]