Data Protection in the Areas of Police and Criminal Justice (EU Directive)

Debate between Jacob Rees-Mogg and Henry Smith

Tuesday 24th April 2012 Commons Chamber

[Jacob Rees-Mogg (North East Somerset) (Con)]

Will the Minister give way?

[Henry Smith (Crawley) (Con)]

Will the Minister give way?

[Mr Blunt]

No. Secondly, the legal base of the measure gives the UK an effective exemption on the issue about which we are most concerned: internal processing of data. The directive is based on article 16 of the TFEU—the new data protection competence created under the Lisbon treaty. Under article 6a of protocol 21, which gives the UK and Ireland particular provisions and protections in the areas of freedoms, security and justice, the UK has what we believe to be a firm protection that provisions on internal processing will not apply to us.