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Select committee: Communications and Digital Committee

Digital regulation

Closed Opened 19 Jul 2021 Closed 21 Jul 2022 4 recommendations

Communications and Digital Committee Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗

Inquiry scope (the committee's words)
Regulators must continually adapt to the fast-changing digital world. This inquiry will investigate the effectiveness of digital regulation and how to ensure that it is forward-looking, joined-up, and subject to Parliamentary scrutiny.

Where it stands

The inquiry is closed, opened 19 July 2021.

The committee has published 1 report, most recently 3rd Report - Digital regulation: joined-up and accountable on 13 December 2021.

The government's response

Published 28 March 2022. The deadline was 31 March 2022.

Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.

The government welcomes the report and agrees with many of its wider recommendations, but will not take forward the proposed Digital Regulation Board or a Joint Committee on Digital Regulation.

  • On statutory coordination, the government agrees on the need for strong coordination, but says non-statutory forms "have an important role to play". It recognises statutory measures "may be needed" in some situations and will "shortly publish" its response to the pro-competition and data consultations, including its approach to statutory coordination measures.
  • The government is "not intending to take forward" the Digital Regulation Board recommendation, citing concerns that a statutory body with powers to direct regulators "would confuse issues of regulator independence and accountability". It commits to working with the DRCF to maximise its efficacy in non-statutory form.
  • On DRCF membership, the government recognises that a wider range of regulators plays an important role. It welcomes further details from the DRCF on its future engagement strategy with other regulators through its 2022/23 work plan.
  • On a joint committee, the government agrees that parliamentary oversight has an important role but "does not support the recommendation", citing "real risks of duplication". It intends to work with Parliament to support scrutiny of the Online Safety Act using expertise in both Houses.

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Recommendations and conclusions

All 4 recommendations and conclusions

Reports

All reports

Evidence

  • 3 oral evidence sessionsLatest 23 November 2021
  • 12 witnesses
All evidence

Recent activity

Recommendations and conclusions 4 shown

Recommendation 44

Recommendation · 3rd Report - Digital regulation: joined-up and accountable

Recommended (the committee's words)
We recommend that the DRCF’s current approach to cooperation between members be formalised, with the introduction of statutory measures such as new duties to consult and the creation of statutory information sharing mechanisms to facilitate joint work between regulators.

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Recommendation 62

Recommendation · 3rd Report - Digital regulation: joined-up and accountable

Recommended (the committee's words)
We recommend that the DRCF be placed on a statutory footing, with the power to resolve conflicts by directing its members. To underscore the status and permanence of this body, we recommend renaming it the Digital Regulation Board.

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Recommendation 63

Recommendation · 3rd Report - Digital regulation: joined-up and accountable

Recommended (the committee's words)
We recommend that statutory duties be introduced on regulators in the DRCF to cooperate and consult with each other, allowing them to share their powers and jointly regulate.

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Recommendation 64

Recommendation · 3rd Report - Digital regulation: joined-up and accountable

Recommended (the committee's words)
We recommend that a well-respected non-executive, independent chair, with proven ability to lead effectively, be appointed to resolve regulatory conflicts and be accountable to Parliament. They should be joined on the board by other non-executive, independent members. 14 Communications and Digital Committee, Regulating in a digital world (2nd Report, Session 2017–19, HL Paper 299), para 223 15 Q 15 (Rachel Colidcutt), Q 21 (Professor Andrew Murray) and Q 27 (Chris Philp MP) 16 Communications and Digital Committee, Regulating in a digital world (2nd Report, Session 2017–19, HL Paper 299), para 238 17 Written evidence from the Digital Regulation Cooperation Forum ( DRG0019 ) 18 Ibid . See also Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, Digital Regulation: driving growth and unlocking innovation (6 July 2021): https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/digital -regulation-driving-growth-and-unlocking-innovation/digital-regulation-driving-growth -and-unlocking-innovation [accessed 30 November 2021]. 19 Written evidence from the Digital Regulation Cooperation Forum ( DRG0019 ) 20 Q 4 (Will Hayter) 21 Q 1 22 Q 6 23 Ibid. 24 Q 1 25 Q 45 26 Q 22 27 Written evidence from Carnegie UK ( DRG0006 ) 28 Written evidence from the LSE Law, Technology and Society Research Group ( DRG0008 ) 29 Q 21 30 Q 2 31 Q 21 32 Written evidence from Dr Elena Abrusci ( DRG0009 ) and Q 21 (Professor Andrew Murray) 33 Q 21 (Professor Andrew Murray) and Q 2 (Kate Davies) 34 Written evidence from Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport ( DRG0007 ) 35 Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, Data: a new direction consultation document , 10 September 2021, p 119: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/ uploads/attachment_data/file/1022315/Data_Reform_Consultation_Document__Accessible_. pdf [accessed 30 November 2021] 36 Q 27 37 Q 1 (Will Hayter) 38 Q 18 39 Q 14 40 Q 19 41 Q 44 42 Written evidence from the Digital Regulation Cooperation Forum ( DRG0019 ) 43 Q 44 44 Ibid. 45 Q 46 46 Q 44 47 Written evidence from NCC Group ( DRG0005 ) 48 Ibid. 49 Q 19 50 Ibid. 51 Written evidence from Dr Elena Abrusci ( DRG0009 ) 52 Q 33 53 Q 45 54 The Digital Regulation Cooperation Forum, ‘Joining up on future technologies’, (29 November 2021): https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ joining-up-on-future-technologies-digital-regulation-cooperation-forum-technology- horizon-scanning-programme/joining-up-on-future-technologies [accessed 30 November 2021] 55 Ibid. 56 Q 9 57 Q 16 58 Q 9 59 Ibid. 60 Q 15 61 Q 24 62 Q 42 63 Q 24 64 Communications and Digital Committee, Regulating in a digital world (2nd Report, Session 2017–19, HL Paper 299), para 21 65 Ibid. , para 229 66 Oral evidence taken before the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee, 13 May 2021 (Session 2021–22), Q 22 (Rt Hon Oliver Dowden MP) 67 Q 46 68 Q 48 69 Q 19 70 Written evidence from the LSE Law, Technology and Society Research Group ( DRG0008 ) 71 Written evidence from Match Group ( DRG0003 ) 72 Q 2 73 Written evidence from the Digital Regulation Cooperation Forum ( DRG0019 ) 74 Q 2 75 Written evidence from Dr Elena Abrusci ( DRG0009 ) 76 Q 27 77 Q 4 78 Written evidence from Dr Elena Abrusci ( DRG0009 ) < Back Next > © Parliamentary copyright 2021 A-Z index Glossary Contact us Freedom of Information Jobs Using this website Copyright Privacy notice Cookie policy Cookie Manager House of Lords - Digital regulation: joined-up and accountable - Communications and Digital Committee Accessibility Email alerts RSS feeds Contact us Home Parliamentary business MPs, Lords & offices About Parliament Get involved Visiting Education House of Commons House of Lords What's on Bills & legislation Committees Publications & records Parliament TV News Topics Digital regulation: joined-up and accountable Contents Chapter 3: Parliamentary oversight

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Reports

1 report

Oral evidence sessions

3 sessions

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Date Session and witnesses Source
23 Nov 2021
Oral evidence session
Chris Philp MP · Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, Lizzie Greenhalgh · Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, Mira Murati · OpenAI, Tabitha Goldstaub · CogX 		View ↗
16 Nov 2021
Oral evidence session
Benedict Evans, Professor Andrew Murray · The London School of Economics and Political Science, Rachel Coldicutt · Careful Industries, Sally Sfeir-Tait · Regulaition 		View ↗
2 Nov 2021
Oral evidence session
Kate Collyer · Financial Conduct Authority, Kate Davies · Ofcom, Stephen Almond · Information Commissioner's Office, Will Hayter · Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) 		View ↗

Who gave evidence

12 witnesses

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WitnessOrganisationSessions
Benedict Evans Not recorded 1
Chris Philp MP · Minister for Tech and the Digital Economy Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport 1
Kate Collyer · Chief Economist and interim Director of Competition Financial Conduct Authority 1
Kate Davies · Public Policy Director Ofcom 1
Lizzie Greenhalgh · Deputy Director for Digital Regulation Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport 1
Mira Murati · Senior Vice President of Research, Product & Partnerships OpenAI 1
Professor Andrew Murray · Associate Dean of LSE Law School and Professor of Law The London School of Economics and Political Science 1
Rachel Coldicutt · Director Careful Industries 1
Sally Sfeir-Tait · Chief Executive Officer Regulaition 1
Stephen Almond · Director of Technology and Innovation Information Commissioner's Office 1
Tabitha Goldstaub · Co-founder CogX 1
Will Hayter · Senior Director, Digital Markets Unit Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) 1

Correspondence

2 letters

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PublishedDirectionLetter
8 Dec 2021 Not recorded Response to the Chair from Chris Philp MP, Minister for Tech and the Digital Economy, Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport , 2 December 2021
26 Nov 2021 To committee Letter from the Chair to Chris Philp MP, Minister of State for Tech and the Digital Economy, Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, 26 November 2021