§ Lord Pearson of Rannochasked Her Majesty's Government:
What are the reference numbers of any present or proposed European Union legislation which might affect data protection in the United Kingdom; what is the state of play of that legislation; and what is their estimate of its cost and benefit to the United Kingdom. [HL2113]
§ Lord BurlisonThe principal EC legislation relating to data protection is Directive 95/46/EC on the protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data and the free movement of such data; and Directive 97/66/EC concerning the processing of personal data and the protection of privacy in the telecommunications sector. When it is brought into force later this year, the Data Protection Act 1998 will give effect to Directive 95/46/EC. A Regulatory72WA Appraisal including a compliance cost assessment was placed in the Library of the House when the Data Protection Bill was introduced in January 1998. The Telecommunications (Data Protection and Privacy) (Direct Marketing) Regulations 1998, which come into force on I May, will partially implement Directive 97/66/EC. A Regulatory Impact Assessment on these regulations has been placed in the Library of the House. Further regulations will be laid before Parliament in order that they can be brought into force at the same time as the 1998 Act. A full Regulatory Impact Assessment on these regulations will be prepared and placed in the Library of the House at that time. A number of other legislative instruments contain data protection provisions which relate to the fields covered by the instruments.