Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what responsibilities Ofcom has for (a) data protection, (b) consumer rights relating to data and (c) data markets; and what plans he has to review those responsibilities.

The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) is the primary regulator in relation to the protection of personal data - its powers are set out in the Data Protection Act (1998) and the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (2003). Ofcom has responsibilities in relation to network security under Sections 105A to 105D of the Communications Act (2003), which place an obligation on providers of telecoms networks and services to take appropriate measures to protect their security and resilience. Ofcom and the ICO have agreed that the ICO will lead on any personal data protection issues which may also fall within the scope of s105A. As with all matters of responsibility for regulation, these arrangements are kept under review.