Richard Thomas and Dr Mark Walport
Our personal information is important to all of us. We want to be able to shop online and have goods delivered to our door or workplace. We want responsive, accessible and individualised public services. And we want crime tackled quickly and effectively.
At the same time, we want to know that our information is safe, secure and protected from misuse. Exactly how is our information being used? How can we be sure it is being used lawfully? Who holds our information and to what end? And what impact is the sharing of personal information having on our private lives?
The Data Sharing Review will be examining these issues over the coming months. We will consult experts in the fields of information sharing and privacy, and review the evidence already in the public domain. We will make recommendations on how to ensure personal information can be shared in an effective and pragmatic way, with appropriate safeguards for individuals and society.
We welcome your views, and encourage you to use this website to contact us and to keep up to date with the progress of our work.
Richard Thomas
Dr Mark Walport
Latest News
15 February 2008: The data sharing review consultation has now closed, and we have received well over 200 responses. Thank you to everyone who responded. The review team is now analysing the results from the consultation exercise and will be running a series of workshops to explore the issues raised in greater detail.
12 December 2007: Richard Thomas and Dr Mark Walport have launched a consultation into how personal information is used and shared in the public and private sectors, as part of their independent data sharing review.
25 October 2007: The Prime Minister has asked Dr Mark Walport and Richard Thomas to conduct a review of the framework for the use of information in the private and public sector. The review will be published in the first half of 2008.
Terms of reference
The review will:
- consider whether there should be any changes to the way the Data Protection Act 1998 operates in the UK and the options for implementing any such changes
- provide recommendations on the powers and sanctions available to the regulator and courts in the legislation governing data sharing and data protection
- provide recommendations on how data-sharing policy should be developed in a way that ensures proper transparency, scrutiny and accountability
Richard Thomas is the Information Commissioner - the UK's independent authority charged with promoting access to official information and protecting personal information. Richard is conducting this review in an independent capacity.
Dr Mark Walport PhD, MB BChir is a Director of the Wellcome Trust. He is a member of the Council for Science and Technology, the Government's top-level independent advisory body on science and technology policy issues.