ee) HOME OFFICE Data Protection The Government's Proposals CM 3725 Tn 22501132262 11993 DaTA PROTECTION THE GOVERNMENT’S PROPOSALS PRESENTED TO PARLIAMENT BY THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE HOME DEPARTMENT JULY 1997 £5.80 Cm 3725 ae a_e DATA PROTECTION aE GOVERNMENT'S PROPOSALS This paper describes the Government’s proposals for implementing the EC Data Protection Directive (95/46/EC). It is intended primarily for information. However, to the extent that the very tight timetable for preparing the necessary legislation permits, the Government will have regard to any comments it receives. It is unlikely to be able to do so for any received after 31 August. Any comments should be sent to: Graham Sutton Home Office LGDP Unit, Room 1181 50 Queen Anne’s Gate LONDON SW1H 9AT Fax: 0171-273 3205 Any questions about the paper should be addressed to Trudy Payne on 0171-273 3755 or Anita Hunt on 0171-273 3723. The paper is available on the Internet at http//:www.homeoffice.gov.uk/ datap1.htm. The Government may make any comments it receives publicly available, unless respondents expressly request confidentiality. Page Foreword Chapter 1: Introduction Chapter 2: Definitions, scope and extent (Articles 2 - 4) Chapter 3: The main rules governing processing (Articles 6,7,10-13, 16 and 17) Chapter 4: Special cases (Articles 8,9,14 and 15) Chapter 5: Notification/Registration (Articles 18-21) Chapter 6: Enforcement (Articles 22-24, 27 and 28) Chapter 7: Transfers of personal data to third countries (Articles 25 and 26) Chapter 8: Transitional arrangements (Article 32) 20 Annex: Summary of responses to 1996 Consultation Paper PAM FOREWORD We all want access to the benefits which the information society can offer us. But we are also entitled to expect those handling information about us to do so properly and responsibly. Data protection is about ensuring that they do. Within the single market of the European Union, it is important that there should be common standards of data protection. This is to enable business and other transactions to continue unimpeded while ensuring that information about individuals is properly protected. That is the purpose of the EC Data Protection Directive. This paper sets out the Government’s proposals for new data protection legislation to give legal effect to the Directive. The proposals build on our existing data protection law - the Data Protection Act 1984. They attempt to achieve the right balance between individuals’ entitlement to privacy in the handling of information about them, and information users’ needs in processing information to provide the services which individuals require. The Government will be introducing the Data Protection Bill in the autumn. I hope that this paper will encourage and inform the debates about this issue. Sook is Rt. Hon Jack Straw MP, Home Secretary