Source · Select Committees · Culture, Media and Sport Committee
Recommendation 9
9
Rejected
Paragraph: 72
Keep data protection reforms under review to avoid undermining existing adequacy agreements.
Recommendation
The Government has not yet made a compelling case for reform of data protection. While we understand that some companies do not share data outside the UK, we are concerned that differing expectations between those companies and companies that do share data outside the UK may give the impression of “lesser” protections for processing personal data in the UK overall. This could be perceived as undermining our existing data adequacy arrangements and ultimately harm companies that share data between the UK and other jurisdictions. To maintain the UK’s reputation as a world-class technology hub, the Government should keep its data reforms under review so as not to undermine its existing data adequacy agreements.
Government Response Summary
The government rejects the conclusion, asserting that the UK remains committed to high data protection standards and that the proposed Bill will simplify legislation while maintaining robust safeguards. It argues that EU adequacy does not require identical rules and that dialogue with the EU continues to ensure free data flows.
Paragraph Reference:
72
Government Response
Rejected
HM Government
Rejected
We do not agree with this conclusion. The UK remains firmly committed to maintaining high data protection standards—now and in the future. The proposals in the Bill are underpinned by this commitment. The Bill includes a number of important measures to simplify the legislation, reduce unnecessary regulatory burdens on organisations and stimulate growth, but these measures are counter-balanced by robust conditions and safeguards to protect the rights of individuals. data from Europe and with other countries the UK has data bridges with. As the European Commission itself has made clear, a third country is not required to have exactly the same rules as the EU in order to be considered adequate. Indeed, there are fourteen countries which have EU adequacy, including Japan, New Zealand and Canada. All of these nations pursue independent approaches to data protection. The Bill is an evolution of the UK GDPR and even after our reforms have been implemented, the UK will continue to have one of the closest regimes to the EU in the world. We maintain an ongoing dialogue with the EU on our proposals and have a positive, constructive relationship. The government will continue to work with the EU and other international partners to ensure that existing free flows of data remain unaffected, to our societies’ and economies’ mutual benefit.