Information Commissioner's Office (Triennial Review)

Simon Hughes Excerpts

Tuesday 25th November 2014 Written Statements

[The Minister of State, Ministry of Justice (Simon Hughes)]

I am today announcing the start of the triennial review of the Information Commissioner’s Office. Triennial reviews are part of the Government’s commitment to making sure that non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) continue to have regular independent challenge.

The review will identify and examine the key functions of the Information Commissioner’s Office and consider how best the functions can be delivered, including whether they should continue to exist at arm’s length from Government. Should the review conclude that the functions should still be performed by the Information Commissioner’s Office in its current form, it will go on to consider the potential for securing efficiencies and examine whether their control and governance arrangements continue to meet the recognised principles of good corporate governance. The findings at both stages of the review will be examined by a challenge group.

Further details of the review, including how to submit evidence to it, can be found on the Ministry of Justice website at: https://consult.justice.gov.uk/. The deadline for responses is 16 January 2015.

In conducting the triennial review, officials will be engaging with a broad range of stakeholders and users of the Information Commissioner’s Office. The review will be aligned with guidance published in 2014 by the Cabinet Office: “Guidance on Reviews of Non-Departmental Public Bodies”. I will inform the House of the outcome of the review when it is completed and copies of the report of the review will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.