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

Debate between Mark Eastwood and Damian Collins

Committee stage
Wednesday 10th May 2023 Public Bill Committees

[Damian Collins (Folkestone and Hythe) (Con)]

I am not sure whether this is directly relevant to the Bill or adjacent to it, but I am an unpaid member of the board of the Centre for Countering Digital Hate, which does a lot of work looking at hate speech in the online world.

[Mark Eastwood (Dewsbury) (Con)]

Given that one of today’s witnesses is from Prospect, I wish to declare that I am a member of that union.

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

Debate between Mark Eastwood and Damian Collins

Committee stage
Wednesday 10th May 2023 Public Bill Committees

[Damian Collins]

Q In terms of criminal investigations, practically how easy is it to get hold of data and information that you consider to be important, particularly if it is from private companies?

Aimee Reed: It is not as easy as we would like it to be, and provision is not made in the Bill to make that easier. There are some discussions about it going into the Online Safety Bill and other areas. It could be easier. We would push harder in the future, but at the moment, getting parity across the other areas and around national security is a focus that we welcome.

Helen Hitching: I want to pick up on the fact that safeguards are not reducing. It is key that the agency notes the point that our safeguards are not being lowered because of this.

[Mark Eastwood (Dewsbury) (Con)]

Q I have been on the parliamentary police and fire service scheme, so I have spent a lot of time with the police. One of the big frustrations from the police’s point of view is the lack of free flow of information, particularly when it concerns charging decisions, along with redaction, which potentially causes some antagonism between the two. I know this is not strictly covered in the Bill, but would it be beneficial to both parties if you were able to share unredacted information before a charging decision is made?

Aimee Reed: I will answer that in respect of where we are now in national policing. It would be of considerable benefit if the guidance was clearer that we could share information without having to redact it, certainly pre-charge, to enable better and easier charging decisions—to be honest—within the Crown Prosecution Service. It would also reduce the current burden on officers: you can think about the volume of data they have to hand over, and it can be video, audio, transcripts—it is not just witness statements, as it used to be 20 or 30 years ago. Reducing that burden would be significant for frontline officers and unleash them to be able to do other things.