Data protection

All Standard Notes
11 Documents
DateDescription
07.01.2013Data Protection: Access to personal information
The Data Protection Act 1998 regulates the use of personal information held on computer and, in some cases, in manual form by both the public and the private sector throughout the United Kingdom. The Act gives individuals the right of access to personal data which is being held on them. There are various other rights under the Act. The Act is enforced by the Information Commissioner (formerly the Data Protection Registrar).
01.11.2012Data Protection: Constituency Casework
Following the implementation of the Data Protection Act 1998 a number of MPs reported difficulties in carrying out their constituency duties. This note explains the difficulties that arose and describes the functions of the Statutory Instrument designed to resolve these difficulties.
13.06.2012Retention of fingerprints and DNA data
This note considers the circumstances in which the police may retain fingerprint and DNA data from individuals arrested for a recordable offence. Under current law such data can be retained indefinitely. However, the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 will introduce a more limited retention regime.
18.05.2012Internet surveillance
This note looks at the history of the two programmes, cites the justifications given by successive governments for what critics have dubbed a 'snooper's charter' and details some of the objections that have been raised against surveillance of this sort.
17.05.2012Interception of communications
This Note looks at past and present laws regarding the interception of communications and the role of the Interception of Communications Commissioner in overseeing the present regime.
01.04.2011Data protection and campaigning
This note covers the data protection implications of using constituency casework to inform campaigning activities in local or other elections. In addition it looks at the sharing of data between the constituency and parliamentary offices of an MP, again for campaigning purposes.
18.01.2011Data protection and the police
The Data Protection Act 1998 (DPA), including its exemptions, applies to the police. Section 29 of the Act details the "crime and taxation" exemption which allows personal data either to be processed or withheld from the data subject for the purposes of the prevention or detection of crime or the apprehension or prosecution of offenders.
06.01.2011Data protection principles
This note quotes the principles that form the backbone of the Data Protection Act 1998 and provides links to information on the rights of data subjects and how and when to complain.
25.10.2010Privacy on the internet
This note provides a brief summary of the relevant legislation as it presently stands.
11.03.2009Coroners and Justice Bill: clause 152
There has been much publicity over the information sharing provisions, notably clause 152, in the Coroners and Justice Bill 2008-09, currently in Commons Committee Stage. This note outlines the clause together with relevant policy and debate.
06.01.2009Draft Communications Data Bill
This note provides background information on the proposed draft Communications Data Bill which has yet to be published. It mentions reports that consideration is being given to a centralised database and some of the concerns these have given rise to. A government consultation on implementing, via secondary legislation, an EC Directive on data retention closed on 31 October 2008.
All Research Papers
13 Documents
DateDescription
28.06.2011Protection of Freedoms Bill: Committee Stage Report Bill 189 of 2010-11
This is a report on the House of Commons Committee Stage of the Protection of Freedoms Bill. It complements Research Paper 11/20 prepared for the Commons Second Reading.
23.02.2011Protection of Freedoms Bill [Bill 146 of 2010-11]
This briefing on the Protection of Freedoms Bill was prepared for the House of Commons Second Reading debate. The Bill forms part of the Coalition Government's programme to 'implement a full programme of measures to reverse the substantial erosion of civil liberties and roll back state intrusion', and follows the passing of the Identity Documents Act 2010, which abolished identity cards. The Bill introduces a wide range of measures including the a new framework for police retention of fingerprints and DNA data, a requirement for schools to get parents' consent before processing children's biometric information, a new regime for police stops and searches under the Terrorism Act 2000 and the reduction of the maximum pre-charge detention period under that Act from 28 to 14 days. It also restricts the scope of the 'vetting and barring' scheme for protecting vulnerable groups and makes changes to the system of criminal records checks.
19.03.2009Coroners and Justice Bill: Committee stage report
The Coroners and Justice Bill deals with a wide range of matters including: coroners; death certification; murder, infanticide and suicide; prohibited images of children; hatred against persons on grounds of sexual orientation; criminal evidence, investigations and procedure; sentencing; legal aid; criminal memoirs and data protection.
22.01.2008Coroners and Justice Bill: crime and data protection
This paper is one of two which examine the main proposals of the Coroners and Justice Bill 2008-09. It deals with the provisions relating to criminal justice and data protection set out in Parts 2-8 of the Bill. See also HC Research Paper 09/07.
09.08.2007The Criminal Justice and Immigration Bill Bill 130 of 2006-07
08.06.2007The Serious Crime Bill
09.03.2007The Statistics and Registration Service Bill, Committee Stage Report
The Statistics and Registration Service Bill, Committee Stage Report. House of Commons Library Research Paper 07/25
15.12.2006Statistics and Registration Service Bill (Bill 8 2006-07)
The Statistics and Registration Service Bill (Bill 8 2006-07). House of Commons Library Research Paper 06/66.
10.09.2004Children Bill (HL) (Bill 144 of 2003/04)
Children Bill (HL) (Bill 144 of 2003/04). House of Commons Library Research Paper 04/68.
21.11.2002Communications Data:Access and Retention
Communications Data:Access and Retention. House of Commons Library Research Paper 02/63.
04.10.2002Anti-Terrorism Crime and Security Act 2001:Disclosure of information
Anti-Terrorism Crime and Security Act 2001:Disclosure of Information . House of Commons Library Research Paper 02/54.
03.12.1999Freedom of Information Bill (Bill 5 1999/2000)
The Freedom of Information Bill (Bill 5 of 1999/2000). House of Commons Library Research Paper 99/99.
17.04.1998Data Protection Bill (HL): Bill 158 of 1997/98
Data Protection Bill (HL): Bill 158 of 1997/98. House of Commons Library Research Paper 98/48.