Data Protection and Digital Information (No. 2) Bill (Eighth sitting)

Debate between John Whittingdale and Jane Hunt

Committee stage
Tuesday 23rd May 2023 Public Bill Committees

[Sir John Whittingdale]

I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Loughborough, who has been assiduous in pursuing her point and has set out very clearly the purpose of her new clause. We share her wish to reduce unnecessary burdens on the police as much as possible. The new clause seeks to achieve that in relation to the preparation by police officers of pre-charge files, which is an issue that the National Police Chiefs’ Council has raised with the Home Office, as I think she knows.

This is a serious matter for our police forces, which estimate that about four hours is spent redacting a typical case file. They argue that reducing that burden would enable officers to spend more time on frontline policing. We completely understand the frustration that many officers feel about having to spend a huge amount of time on what they see as unnecessary redaction. I can assure my hon. Friend that the Home Office is working with partners in the criminal justice system to find ways of safely reducing the redaction burden while maintaining public trust. It is important that we give them the time to do so.

We need to resolve the issue through an evidence-based solution that will ensure that the right amount of redaction is done at the right point in the process, so as to reduce any delays while maintaining victim and witness confidence in the process. I assure my hon. Friend that her point is very well taken on board and the Government are looking at how we can achieve her objective as quickly as possible, but I hope she will accept that, at this point, it would be sensible to withdraw her new clause.

[Jane Hunt]

I thank the Minister greatly for what he has said, and for the time and effort that is being put in by several Departments to draw attention to the issue and bring it to a conclusion. I am happy that some progress has been made and, although I reserve my right to bring back the new clause at a later date, I beg to ask leave to withdraw the motion.

Clause, by leave, withdrawn.