Meeting of the Parliament 09 May 2024
As Daniel Johnson has quite rightly alluded to, this Parliament—and all Parliaments—need to recognise the power of data for individuals, the economy and public services. Although the bill is technical, it remains a very important bill for individuals, our public services and the benefit of the wider economy.
Today we have heard that the bill seeks to amend current data protection frameworks and improve digital services. I think that that is the right thing to do. As we have discussed, four areas are involved: data verification, smart data, amendments to the Digital Economy Act 2017 and police information-sharing agreements. In relation to my portfolio, the power to gather information for social security purposes is affected.
I thank the committee for its deliberations on the issue. I will not delay the chamber by going over what is in the bill, but I reiterate that we encourage Parliament to consent to it and agree to the motion. Daniel Johnson is right to raise concerns around data protection adequacy and the importance of the European Union angle. However, I reiterate we do not believe that the motion that is debated today would impact on rights for adequacy, which is why I ask the Scottish Parliament to give its consent and agree to the motion.