Member

Finally, I turn to whether Clause 13 should stand part of the Bill. Clause 13 enables the Secretary of State or the Treasury to give financial assistance to decision-makers or enforcers for the purpose of meeting any expenses in the exercise of their functions in smart data schemes. It is intended that smart data schemes will be self-financing through the fees and levies provided for by Clauses 11 and 12, but it is deemed appropriate for there to be a statutory spending authority as a backstop provision, if that is necessary. Any spending commitment of resources will be subject to the usual estimates process and to existing public sector spending controls and transparency requirements.