§ Mr. FrenchTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what representations he has received from charities about the effect of the EC data protection directive on their fund-raising activities;
(2) what is his assessment of the effects of the EC data protection directive, if implemented; and if he will make a statement;
(3) what representations he has received from direct mail organisations about the effect of the EC data protection directive on their business;
(4) what representations he has received concerning the EC data protection directive; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Peter LloydThe Government have received a substantial number of representations about the likely effects of the draft data protection directive. SYN 287. Many have come from charities and direct mail organisations. The Government consider that the draft, if implemented in its present form, would place considerable burdens on many data users, and would curtail some legitimate and beneficial areas of activity altogether. The Government are seeking to modify those provisions in the draft directive which go beyond the European convention on data protection, which is the basis of United Kingdom law, and which the Government believe strikes the right balance between the interests of data users and data 777W subects. The Government await the Commission's redraft of the directive, which is being drawn up in the light of the views of the official working group in Brussels, the European Parliament, the data protection registrars or commissioners of the Community countries and data users groups.