Viscount Camrose (Con)

My Lords, I too thank the Minister for introducing these regulations. I note that he is having a spectacularly busy day. Clearly, these regulations are essentially technical in nature, as the noble Lord, Lord Clement-Jones, said, but they play an important role in ensuring that the statute book remains coherent following the passage of the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025. That Act, as a partial continuation of the itself much-debated DPDI Bill, made a great many important changes, not least a significant structural change to the United Kingdom’s data protection regulator, replacing the previous officeholder model with the new corporate body of the Information Commission. The purpose of these regulations is therefore straightforward. They update references across the statute book so that legislation refers to the new body rather than the former Information Commissioner’s Office. These are consequential amendments that are technical but necessary to provide legal clarity and continuity. We on this side recognise the importance of maintaining a regulatory framework that is both clear and workable. Data protection and digital regulation now sit at the heart of our modern economic and civic lives. In an increasingly digitised world, the institutions responsible for overseeing that framework must be capable of responding to fast and far-reaching technological developments while maintaining public trust. The creation of the Information Commission as a board-led body is intended to support that objective by strengthening governance and resilience at the top of the organisation. Needless to say, structural reform is a necessary but not a sufficient condition for the regulator’s effectiveness. The commission’s responsibilities will continue to expand as new technologies and new risks emerge. It is therefore at least as important that it has the strategic clarity and operational capacity required to discharge its functions effectively. Will the Minister explain how the Government propose to ensure, today and in future, that the commission is able to balance two objectives, both vital to the United Kingdom: protecting individuals’ rights and privacy; and enabling innovation and economic growth in our digital economy? It seems to me that without a principles-based adaptive approach, we are going to enjoy a great many repeats of this debate, in one way or another, as the Government of the day, of whatever flavour, struggle to keep up with emerging technologies. I look forward to the Minister’s response to the points raised by myself and by the noble Lord, Lord Clement-Jones.