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Debate on Monday, 24 November 2008, in the House of Commons, led by Jack Straw. The answering member was Lord Herbert of South Downs.

Data Protection and Freedom of Information

Debate on a motion to approve the salary of the Information Commissioner. Queen's recommendation signified. Resolved on question.

Secondary information

Type
Parliamentary proceeding
Reference
483 c573-88 
Session
2007-08
Department
Ministry of Justice
Procedure
Queen's recommendation
Chamber / Committee
House of Commons chamber
Related items
Data Protection (Information Commissioner)
Monday, 24 November 2008
Written statements
House of Commons
Proceeding contributions
Simon Hughes | 483 c588 (Link to this contribution) The hon. Member for Aldridge-Brownhills (Mr. Shepherd) said that the Government should be proud of c...
Jack Straw | 483 c587-8 (Link to this contribution) The commissioner has made no request for further powers. He has the tools to do the job as well as s...
Show all contributions (49)
Andrew Miller | 483 c587 (Link to this contribution) Apropos the resources that have been given to the Information Commissioner, much of his hidden work ...
Bob Spink | 483 c587 (Link to this contribution) The right hon. Gentleman may not be aware that there is an amendment to reduce that £100,000 to the ...
Jack Straw | 483 c587 (Link to this contribution) That is a matter for this House, but I was speaking ad referendum, and merely making the point that ...
Simon Hughes | 483 c586 (Link to this contribution) I understand why we are dealing with the measure here. Will the Secretary of State arrange for the l...
Jack Straw | 483 c586-7 (Link to this contribution) Yes, I can do that. For the benefit of the House, it was proposed that the salary of the chair of t...
Bob Spink | 483 c585-6 (Link to this contribution) I cast no aspersions whatever on the Information Commissioner's performance or integrity—I am sure t...
Jack Straw | 483 c586 (Link to this contribution) With the leave of the House, I shall respond to the points made. First, on the level of the salary, ...
Jack Straw | 483 c588 (Link to this contribution) That was not principally the Information Commissioner's responsibility. The hon. Member for Hornchu...
Simon Hughes | 483 c579-80 (Link to this contribution) I am grateful to the Chief Whip for that. The sanctions are not just for politicians. They are much ...
Simon Hughes | 483 c580 (Link to this contribution) I am mindful of that and I am ensuring that I tie the salary that the commissioner will get if we vo...
Speaker | 483 c580 (Link to this contribution) Order. The hon. Gentleman should not stray too far into that. I remind him that the motion before th...
Simon Hughes | 483 c580-1 (Link to this contribution) No I am not, but I am hoping that because his office and his salary are being debated in the House o...
Bob Spink | 483 c581 (Link to this contribution) Is the hon. Gentleman concerned, as I am, that no evidence has been put forward to justify the 40 pe...
Rob Marris | 483 c581-2 (Link to this contribution) I am sure that the Lord Chancellor would be able to supply that kind of information; it seems pretty...
Simon Hughes | 483 c582 (Link to this contribution) The hon. Gentleman started off by making a perfectly reasonable point about trade unions, but does h...
Rob Marris | 483 c582 (Link to this contribution) The Lord Chancellor may be able to comment, but I cannot, because, to be fair to the Information Com...
Rob Marris | 483 c583 (Link to this contribution) Indeed, Madam Deputy Speaker, but if I may say so, the salary set down in the motion should partly r...
Speaker | 483 c583 (Link to this contribution) Order. Could I once again remind Members that the motion before the House is to discuss the salary o...
Richard Shepherd | 483 c583 (Link to this contribution) I believe that the Freedom of Information Act 2000 was one of the great glories of this Labour Gover...
Richard Shepherd | 483 c584 (Link to this contribution) The hon. Gentleman has an irritating habit of asking out of the air questions that are clearly part ...
Rob Marris | 483 c585 (Link to this contribution) The hon. Gentleman should not be so peevish.
Richard Shepherd | 483 c583-4 (Link to this contribution) Thank you. Although the salary of £140,000 does not look great in comparison with those of local aut...
Rob Marris | 483 c584 (Link to this contribution) Does the hon. Gentleman deduce from those statistics that the Information Commissioner should be pai...
Jack Straw | 483 c573-4 (Link to this contribution) I beg to move,"That, in respect of service from 30th November 2007, the salary of the Information Co...
Simon Hughes | 483 c575 (Link to this contribution) Following on from the intervention made by the hon. Member for Wolverhampton, South-West (Rob Marris...
Jack Straw | 483 c575 (Link to this contribution) I shall certainly follow that up, because it is an area in which the Government must ensure that wha...
Lord Herbert of South Downs | 483 c575-6 (Link to this contribution) I suspect that the Secretary of State for Justice might agree that the timing of this proposal is un...
James Brokenshire | 483 c574 (Link to this contribution) The Lord Chancellor is talking about the Information Commissioner's enhanced role, and he referred t...
Jack Straw | 483 c574 (Link to this contribution) The Information Commissioner will have considerable rights, and I shall give the hon. Gentleman the ...
Rob Marris | 483 c574 (Link to this contribution) I entirely agree with my right hon. Friend that those protections are extremely necessary, but many ...
Jack Straw | 483 c575 (Link to this contribution) My hon. Friend makes an important point, with which I think the whole House agrees. It illustrates t...
Lord Herbert of South Downs | 483 c577 (Link to this contribution) I agree with the right hon. Gentleman. It is clear that the work load of the Information Commissione...
Keith Vaz | 483 c577 (Link to this contribution) Parliament has also added to the burden on the Information Commissioner. The report by the Select Co...
Speaker | 483 c576 (Link to this contribution) Order. I remind the hon. Member, and other hon. Members, that the motion that we are discussing rela...
Simon Hughes | 483 c578-9 (Link to this contribution) There is a serious point: we do not look at these salaries in the round. The proposal is for one sal...
Simon Hughes | 483 c578 (Link to this contribution) I have generally the same analysis of the position as the hon. Member for Arundel and South Downs (N...
David Leslie Taylor | 483 c578 (Link to this contribution) Did the hon. Gentleman hear the figures quoted a moment ago by the hon. Member for Arundel and South...
Bob Spink | 483 c577 (Link to this contribution) Is the hon. Gentleman aware that ““the powers that be”” have just reduced the proposal to pay the ch...
Lord Herbert of South Downs | 483 c577-8 (Link to this contribution) I do not think that the two situations relate. The chairman of the Electoral Commission will now be ...
Rob Marris | 483 c581 (Link to this contribution) I may have missed something when the Secretary of State and Lord Chancellor opened the debate; perha...
Lord Herbert of South Downs | 483 c576-7 (Link to this contribution) Of course, Madam Deputy Speaker. I was just pointing out that one of the justifications for a signif...
Richard Shepherd | 483 c585 (Link to this contribution) I have listened to the hon. Gentleman for a long time and watched his technique, and it rolls over t...
Bob Spink | 483 c580 (Link to this contribution) I am interested to learn why increasing the salary by 40 per cent. will enable the commissioner to d...
Subjects
Disclosure of information Data protection Databases Accountability Freedom of information Private sector Pay Powers Public appointments Privacy Public sector Information Commissioner's Office
Legislation
Data Protection Act 1998
Link
View this Parliamentary proceeding on www.publications.parliament.uk