Data Protection and Digital Information Bill falls ahead of the UK General Election
With the Prime Minister calling a General Election for July 4 2024 the UK Parliament enters a period of ‘wash-up’ to resolve all uncompleted legislation.
Any legislation that does not complete its passage by the end of the ‘wash-up’ on 24 May will fall and would need to be reintroduced in the next Parliament.
The Data Protection and Digital Information (DPDI) Bill was not completed by the end of the ‘wash-up’ and therefore falls.
Our understanding is that a failure to agree a way forward between members of the House of Lords on controversial late amendments added by the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) is what caused the Bill to fall.
These amendments facilitated data sharing between the DWP and private companies, mainly banks, with the aim to prevent fraud. However, the amendments attracted controversy and were widely opposed in the House of Lords.
techUK did not support these amendments as they did not form part of the consultation process around the Bill. They were added at a very late stage with limited industry consultation.
The DPDI Bill was an important evolution of the UK’s data protection framework and held a wide range of opportunities.
These included making the UK a more attractive place for the research, development and deployment of AI technology, establishing new frameworks for Smart Data and Digital ID and granting the UK the flexibility needed to adapt to a rapidly changing global trade environment.
The fall of the DPDI Bill is therefore disappointing, particularly given there was broad support in Parliament for the wider reforms it introduced.
The UK tech industry will be frustrated at the failure of the Bill to pass, particularly given the extensive consultation on the Bill that had taken place. Following the election, it will now be the responsibility of the next Government to resume these reforms.
Whichever Political Party wins the election should not make this a missed opportunity. Instead, they should build on the good progress made in this Bill by seeking to create a pro-innovation and high standard data protection regime for the UK.
This should also include enabling smart data and digital ID schemes, allowing us all to better manage our data and interact with public services.
In light of this, techUK is preparing a position paper to the next Government that will set out our views on the DPDI Bill clauses that should be revived, and will include some further policy proposals.
We will be seeking member input on what these exact provisions might look like and will be scheduling member feedback sessions shortly. Members should get in contact with [email protected]
You can find techUK’s full view of the DPDI Bill on our website here. For further information on the General Election and the ‘wash-up’ process please visit our General Election hub.
Neil Ross
Neil Ross
As Associate Director for Policy Neil leads on techUK's public policy work in the UK. In this role he regularly engages with UK and Devolved Government Ministers, senior civil servants and members of the UK’s Parliaments aiming to make the UK the best place to start, scale and develop a tech business.
Neil joined techUK in 2019 to lead on techUK’s input into the UK-EU Brexit trade deal negotiations and economic policy. Alongside his role leading techUK's public policy work Neil also acts as a spokesperson for techUK often appearing in the media and providing evidence to a range of Parliamentary committees.
In 2023 Neil was listed by the Politico newspaper as one of the '20 people who matter in UK tech' and has regularly been cited as a key industry figure shaping UK tech policy.
- Email:
- [email protected]
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- @neil13r
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Audre Verseckaite
Audre Verseckaite
Audre joined techUK in July 2023 as a Policy Manager for Data. Previously, she was a Policy Advisor in the Civil Service, where she worked on the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill at the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, and at HM Treasury on designing COVID-19 support schemes and delivering the Financial Services and Markets Bill. Before that, Audre worked at a public relations consultancy, advising public and private sector clients on their communications, public relations, and government affairs strategy.
Prior to this, Audre completed an MSc in Public Policy at the Korea Development Institute and a Bachelor's in International Relations and History from SOAS, University of London. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time outdoors, learning about new cultures through travel and food, and going on adventures.