§ Mr. ThurnhamTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to reduce costs in running the data protection register, in order to bring forward the date of the break-even point; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. MellorThe registrar's expenditure proposals are scrutinised carefully as part of the process of public expenditure control; and we shall shortly be considering future registration fee levels in the light of the registrar's costs, the expected numbers of registrations and renewals, the impact of the registration fees on those required to register and the need to reach break-even as soon as this can reasonably be managed. The general operation of the Data Protection Act is also under review, but it is too early to say what impact that might have on the registrar's costs and income.