Question over watchdog funds

Additional 10 per cent of funds cannot be used to police data security

The cabinet Office said answers to the committee were completely correct

An MP is demanding an explanation from the Cabinet Office after it emerged that an extra 10 per cent funding for the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) would do nothing to tackle government data losses.

A Public Administration Select Committee (PASC) meeting last week questioned Cabinet Office minister Sir Gus O’Donnell about the “aftermath of government data losses”.

During a barrage of questions on responsibilities for data handling and security within government, O’Donnell said the ICO would be given an extra 10 per cent in funding this year.

The answer came in response to Paul Rowen, Liberal Democrat MP for Rochdale, who asked: “An important part of this is resources for the ICO. Are you going to make available resources for him to carry out his duties?”

O’Donnell replied: “There is a 10 per cent increase in his [the information commissioner’s] budget this year.”

But the increase ­ representing an extra £500,000 funding from the Ministry of Justice ­ can only be used to administer the Freedom of Information Act ­ an entirely separate responsibility of the ICO. Under the rules governing the running of the ICO, this money cannot be used to police the Data Protection Act (DPA).

Rowen told Computing: “I will write to the Cabinet Office to find out more on this unexpected development. Freedom of information and data protection are separate tasks within the ICO.”

The ICO administers freedom of information laws which improve public access to government-held information.

A separate responsibility to police the DPA and protect information held by public and private sector bodies is funded by about £10m in notification fees from data controllers who pay £35 each.

A spokesman for the ICO said: “The two functions are entirely separate, and funds cannot be transferred between the two. We will be in touch with the committee to clarify this.”

A Cabinet Office spokesman said: “The answer given to the committee was completely accurate ­ the portion of the ICO’s budget provided directly by the government has been increased by 10 per cent for next year.”

Last week’s PASC meeting was set up to “explore the issues raised by the data losses for how government conducts its business, as well as the government’s proposals for improving how information is used and kept secure”.