Source · Select Committees · Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee
Recommendation 7
7
Deferred
Paragraph: 47
Review exclusion of health and social care data from Digital Economy Act 2017.
Recommendation
While time in this Parliament now runs short, we recommend that the next Government review the exclusion of health and social care data from the Digital Economy Act 2017. There are understandable sensitivities around the sharing of health data, but it may be that the implementation of research provisions over the last seven years, and the work that has taken place in the context of the Caldicott review, offer a helpful new basis for discussion concerning their possible inclusion.
Government response summary AI-generated
The Government accepts the recommendation but states that HM Treasury would consider findings of any future reports from the UKSA (subject to responses to other recommendations) to inform funding decisions related to public evidence, rather than directly committing to review the Digital Economy Act's exclusion of health and social care data.
Summary of the government's response below — read the verbatim text to verify.
Paragraph Reference:
47
Government Response
Deferred
HM Government · verbatim extract
Deferred
. The Government accepts the Committee’s recommendation. DHSC recognises the value in keeping the arrangements for health data in the Digital Economy Act 2017 under review, to ensure health data can be used appropriately to improve public services and support essential research, in a legal, secure and proportionate manner. Any consideration of amendments to the existing data sharing powers under the Digital Economy Act 2017 to include health and adult care bodies in the scope of the provisions must be in line with the expectations of the public as to how their health information is used, so as to preserve public trust. The Government will implement this recommendation by the end of 2025. Government funding commitments to the UKSA
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