Revised Framework Document (Information Commissioner's Office and the Ministry of Justice)

Thursday 15th September 2011 Written Statements

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice (Mr Crispin Blunt)]

My right hon. Friend the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice, Lord McNally, has made the following written ministerial statement:

Today I am publishing the revised framework document that governs the day-to-day relationship between the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) and the Ministry of Justice. Agreed by both the Information Commissioner and the Ministry of Justice, the revised document enhances significantly the independence of the ICO.

The Government firmly support an independent and influential ICO and this revised framework complements the legislative clauses the Government introduced in the Protection of Freedoms Bill.

Under the new framework, mechanisms are put in place to enable the ICO to retain certain types of income, subject to the outcome of the Protection of Freedoms Bill, and the reporting requirements on the ICO are significantly reduced. In addition to this, a number of changes have been introduced to allow the ICO greater freedom to make certain financial and administrative decisions.

However, while furthering the ICO’s financial and administrative independence, the framework document ensures this is balanced with appropriate reporting arrangements to enable the Ministry of Justice to maintain and ensure the proper expenditure of public money allocated to the ICO.

Copies of the consultation revised framework document will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses and on the Department’s website at: www.justice.gov.uk.