19 September 2000
Dear Reader
The Home Office is making an early appraisal of the UK's new data protection regime. This letter invites you to contribute. Comments are needed by 27 October 2000.
The Data Protection Act 1998 came into force on 1 March 2000. It replaced the Data Protection Act 1984. Its main purpose is to give effect in the UK to the 1995 EC Data Protection Directive (95/46/EC). The 1998 Act, and the subordinate legislation made under it, made significant changes to the UK's data protection regime. The Government wishes to make an assessment of those changes now that the new regime has been in force for six months. This will help inform the UK's position on the European Commission's first report on the implementation of the Directive which is due by October 2001.
The appraisal is not intended to be an exhaustive evaluation of the new legislation. It is too early for a comprehensive review, not least because the Act's transitional arrangements mean that many of its provisions have not yet taken full effect. The purpose is to assess the new regime's immediate effect, focussing in particular on those provisions which are new to UK data protection law (eg reflecting additional requirements of the Directive) or which are substantially different from those in the 1984 Act. The issues set out in the attached paper have been identified with these priorities in mind. However, we do not wish to impose artificial constraints on the comments that you might wish to make, and we will be pleased to receive views on any other issues.
Please send your comments by post, fax or e-mail to:
Paul Henery
LGDP Unit
Room 1173
Home Office
50 Queen Anne's Gate,
London SW1H 9AT
Fax: 020 7273 3205
E.mail: Paul.Henery@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk
The closing date for responses is 27 October 2000
The 1998 Act and its subordinate legislation are also available.
If you have any queries about this review, please ring Paul Henery on 020 7273 3723.
We may wish to make your response publicly available. Please make clear in your response if you do not wish us to do so.
GRAHAM SUTTON
Head of Data Protection Section
Data Protection Act Post Implementation Appraisal paper