The House debated and voted on the 3rd Reading of the Data Protection and Digital Information Bill on Wednesday 29 November 2023 with the Report stage on the same day. The Bill is intended to update and simplify the UK’s data protection framework with a view to reducing burdens on organisations while maintaining high data protection standards. there were 5 votes.

The first amendment voted on was one which called for the Bill to be re-committed to a Public Bill Committee for reconsideration. I voted for the motion but this was defeated by a vote of Ayes 209 to Noes 275.

Amendment 11, ensured that special category data, such as that relating to a person’s health, is adequately protected in workplace settings. The Bill could allow employers to share an employee’s personal data within their organisation without a justifiable reason. I voted in favour of the amendment but this was defeated by a vote of Ayes 199 to Noes 274.

Amendment 5, was intended to strike a better balance by extending the safeguarding provisions to include significant decisions that are based both partly and solely on automated processing. That means greater safeguards for anybody subject to an automated decision-making process, however that decision is made. I voted in favour of the amendment but this was defeated by a vote of Ayes 195 to Noes 273.

Amendment 1 was tabled to retain a statutory definition of high-risk processing as recommended by the Information Commissioner's Office in his response to the Bill.  I voted in favour of the amendment but this was defeated by a vote of Ayes 198 to Noes 275.

Amendment 218 removes clauses 87 and 88, which gives the Secretary of State the power to make exceptions to the privacy and electronic communications regulations direct marketing provisions on communications sent for the purposes of democratic engagement. I voted in favour of Amendment 218 but this was defeated by a vote of Ayes 194 to Noes 275.

As a member of the Chair's Panel,  I chaired the Committee scrutinising the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Act 2023 (Consequential Amendment) Regulations 2023 on Wednesday 29 November 2023.

The Regulations make amendments that are needed in consequence of the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Act 2023 (“REUL Act”). This instrument removes references to retained EU law (“REUL”) throughout primary legislation and replaces the term with “assimilated law”, so that the text of primary legislation is amended. This reflects section 5 of the REUL Act, which provides that REUL (and related terms, such as “retained EU case law”) that remains in force will be known as “assimilated law” (and related terms, such as “assimilated EU case law”) at all times after the end of 2023.

 

The House debated the  Code of Practice on Reasonable Steps to be taken by a Trade Union (Minimum Service Levels) and Strikes Regulations on Tuesday 28 November 2023. 

The Code of Practice was laid before the House on 13 November 2023. I voted against the motion which was passed Ayes: 280 : Noes 199

The Strikes (Minimum Service Levels: Border Security) Regulations 2023 laid before the House on 7 November 2023. I voted against the motion:  Ayes 285 to Noes 203

The Strikes (Minimum Service Levels: Passenger Railway Services) Regulations 2023 were laid before the House on 7 November 2023. I voted against the regulations which was lost: Ayes 281 to Noes 201.

As the 7pm time limit was reached, division on the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels: NHS Ambulance Services and the NHS Patient Transport Service) Regulations 2023  was deferred.  I voted against the regulations which passed by a vote of Ayes 297 : Noes 166. 

It was good to meet the Horticultural Trades Association and Minister Mark Spencer MP, Minister for Food, Farming and Fisheries at a drop in at the House of Commons on 28 November 2023.The event was to introduce two reports The Value of Plants and Delivering the UK Environmental Improvement Plan through the value of plants and to  highlight he value of plants worth £15.7 billion to the UK. The HTA was founded in 1899 as an organisation formed by its members, for its members with the aim of representing horticultural tradesmen to deal with the issues they faced as an industry, which still drives the HTA today. Find out more by visiting: hta.org.uk

At Home Office Questions on Monday 27 November 2023 I asked the Home Secretary Rt Hon James Cleverly MP a question. I asked: "One of the ways of dealing with illegal migration is to look at the number of cases. Can the Home Secretary say how many legacy backlog cases there are—if they have yet been triaged—and how many of those result from illegal migration?"

The Home Secretary answered by saying: "The historic backlog has been reduced by 65%. It has fallen by more than 59,000 cases since the end of November 2022. We have recruited 2,500 asylum decision makers, and we have increased tenfold the pace at which these decisions are made."

The Home Secretary did not answer the question. It is vital to know the total number of backlog cases and how many of those result from illegal migration as the Prime Minister has said he will deal with this before the end of 2023.