§ The Earl of Northeskasked Her Majesty's Government:
What are the prospects for continued transfer of data between the European Union and the United States, particularly in circumstances where data protection issues are relevant, given the recent comments by Congressman Bill Tauzin of the United States House of Representatives concerning the existing and proposed European Regulation on Data Protection. [HL1237]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord Bassam of Brighton): The Government are aware of comments attributed to Congressman Tauzin and others about the rules on the export of personal data to third countries set by the 1995 European Commission (EC) Data Protection Directive. The Government do not believe that those rules will impede transfers of personal data from the European Union to the United States. Last year's decision by the European Commission that the United States' safe harbour arrangements provide adequate data protection for the purposes of the directive, and the Commission's current work on the development of standard contractual clauses for data exports, are intended to facilitate such transfers.