Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the implications for competition in the motor industry of potential restrictions on access to data collected by automobiles for (a) car manufacturers and (b) independent repair providers.

Automobiles generate and process a vast and growing array of data, and this trend is set to continue as vehicle connectivity and automation increases. The way data is handled affects security, privacy and competition.

Personal data is covered by existing regulatory frameworks. We are currently assessing the framework for governance of vehicle data more broadly. We are aware that there are a range of stakeholders with different views on this matter, and there is a live debate at EU level. We are already actively engaging with industry bodies and the relevant EU forums and developing policy in this area, and welcome the views of stakeholders.