HL Deb 05 January 2004 vol 657 cc27-8WA
The Earl of Northesk

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What action they have taken to alert and inform commercial enterprises of the coming into force of the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations. [HL507]

Lord Sainsbury of Turville

The Government have sought the views of commercial enterprises at all stages of the implementation of the Directive on Privacy and Electronic Communications in the UK. Full public consultations were held on both the directive and the draft regulations, eliciting a large number of responses from businesses and business representative organisations.

Publicity and awareness-raising work on the UK regulations has included a series of 10 recent presentations to industry bodies, as well as briefing of business and national press. Further briefing and publicity work continues with business representative organisations including the British Chambers of Commerce.

The Earl of Northesk

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether the use of cookies on Government websites is fully compliant with the requirements of the recently implemented Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations. [HL508]

Lord Sainsbury of Turville

The Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations introduce new requirements to provide information and an opportunity to refuse cookies and other Internet tracking devices, with some limited exceptions. These requirements apply to all websites including government ones. The Guidelines for UK Government Websites issued by the Office of the e-Envoy in 2001 give extensive guidance on the types and uses of cookies and encourages informing users that a website is using cookies, what data they contain, what they are used for and permitting an "opt-out" from their use. The guidelines are being updated to emphasise the legal requirements of the new regulations. Compliance with the regulations is the responsibility of individual departments, agencies and local services.

The Information Commissioner's Office as the enforcement body for the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations has issued detailed compliance guidance on the use of cookies and other aspects of the new rules, and has powers to act where there are breaches.