We think data should be at the heart of policy - and we'd like you to help us debate the key issues.

Google and The Guardian Datablog - in partnership with the Open Knowledge Foundation - are co-hosting a series of events around the big issues in data, transparency and policy. We want to get at the key datasets behind the stories, bringing them to life and drawing on the expertise of those who know the numbers inside out. And we're running a competition too to visualise the best.

Our panel includes:

• Nick Hurd, Cabinet Office Minister

• Nigel Shadbolt, Professor of Artificial Intelligence at the University of Southampton, the co-founder and Chairman of the Open Data Institute.

• Paul Maltby, Cabinet Office Director for Transparency and Open Data

• Stephan Shakespeare, CEO, YouGov

• Rufus Pollock, Co-founder, Open Knowledge Foundation

• Simon Rogers, editor of the Guardian Datastore and Datablog will chair the debate

This rather awesome panel will answer questions including:

• How genuine are government drives for transparency and open data?

• What more should governments be doing to become genuinely transparent?

• Can open data change the world?

• How can the media help transform the debate?

• Can open data help transform government too?

This is a unique opportunity to leverage the power of the open Web to encourage more developments in open data, data-driven policymaking and active civic engagement. Will you be part of it?

We're hosting the event at the Guardian offices at Kings Place in London on April 25 16 at 6:30pm BST and would love you to join us.

• You will be able to view the live stream of the debate HERE

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• Facts are Sacred: the power of data

More open data

Data journalism and data visualisations from the Guardian

World government data

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Development and aid data

• Search the world's global development data with our gateway

Can you do something with this data?

• Flickr Please post your visualisations and mash-ups on our Flickr group

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