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Criminal Justice and Immigration Bill

I do not disagree with the noble Baroness, Lady Miller, the noble Lord, Lord Henley, or the noble Earl, Lord Erroll, on the importance of this matter and of the need to improve trust and confidence among the public about the arrangements in place to protect personal data. There is no doubt whatever that there are concerns. There have been examples where data have not been appropriately protected. Clearly, we need to learn those lessons and to make sure that it is put right as much as is possible. My problem with the amendments is the same as I mentioned in Committee. The Government are involved in a number of reviews on these matters in the light of some of the well publicised incidents that have taken place. Just as noble Lords usually say that the legislation I bring forward is premature and has not had enough consideration, I have to say that that is our position at the moment. The Cabinet Office is due to publish the findings of its review into data handling procedures in government which will describe how the Government have put in place a core set of minimum mandatory measures to protect information that applies across central government. These measures are intended to supplement the material provided to departments in other ways, including the Manual of Protective Security, and compliance will be assessed on an annual basis. It will underpin the summary material in the Statement on Internal Control and be subject to peer review. We are committed in principle to the introduction of new sanctions under the Data Protection Act 1998 for the most serious breaches of its principles. Such proposals will take account of the need not only to provide high levels of data security, but also to ensure that sensible data sharing practices can be conducted in an environment of legal certainty. We will also have to take a considered view on what measures are necessary to strengthen the protection of personal data in the light of the recommendations made in the various reports and reviews we are embarked on at the moment. I mention, for example, recent Select Committee reports and the Thomas Walport review which was announced by my right honourable friend the Prime Minister in October. It is due to report shortly. The principal mandate of that review is to examine the scope of the sharing of personal information protections that apply when personal information is shared in the public and private sectors. It is also considering the operation of the Data Protection Act and options for implementing possible changes, and will include recommendations on the powers and sanctions available to the regulator and the courts in the legislation governing data sharing and data protection. Further, following the HMRC data loss issue, the Thomas Walport review is considering the case for extending the audit and inspection powers of the Information Commissioner to conduct compliance checks on the private and wider public sectors. In addition, we have the PricewaterhouseCoopers review on HMRC procedures. An interim report has already been published, and the full report is due this spring. The Government recognise the genuine and legitimate concerns expressed by noble Lords both in this debate and in Committee, but a number of imminent reviews and reports will inform both the actions that the Government have to take as a Government and whether legislative changes should be made. That is why we think it would be premature to legislate at this point. The noble Baroness, Lady Miller, referred to the pressure of legislative time. Equally, this is an important matter. I cannot stand at the Dispatch Box and declare that on such and such a date we will bring forward legislation, but what I can say is that this is an important matter that we take very seriously. I hope, in that spirit, that noble Lords will not press their amendments because it would be premature to do so.