New powers for data watchdog

Thomas: Called for stronger powers

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) could be given powers to proactively assess data protection for the first time.

The forthcoming Statistics and Registration Bill will set up a board to oversee the work of the Office of National Statistics and handle large amounts of information collected from businesses and the public. If approved, an amendment will see the ICO continuously assessing the board to prevent data leaks. Currently, the commissioner can only carry out inspections when a complaint is made.

Last month, Information Commissioner Richard Thomas called for stronger powers to allow his office to carry out impromptu inspections and audits.

‘It is wrong that my office cannot find out what is happening in practice without the consent of each organisation,’ he said.

A security breach could have serious consequences, says crossbench peer the Earl of Errol.

‘The way that we are now breaking down demographics to get better statistical information… means that if I carry out cross-matching between people, profile and postcode, I can get a good idea of who is who and what they are doing,’ he said.