In April the Government launched a consultation considering how it should publish the recommended standards that public bodies are expected to follow when collecting and using personal information. A written guarantee, containing a general statement of data protection and applicable to all public bodies, was the preferred route.
The aim, according to the Department's report, is to "produce a document that is both robust and not a dilution of the Data Protection Act – with which all public authorities should already be complying – but does not go beyond it."
Information Rights Minister Lord Filkin commented:
"Public organisations have to share personal information to improve and provide more joined-up services. However, the government needs to ensure that the public's right to privacy is also respected. The Guarantee will help to inform people of their rights covering their personal information when it is used by public sector bodies."