Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the oral contribution of the Minister for Data and Digital Infrastructure of 14 June 2023 at Topical Questions, T7, Official Report, column 286, what plans his Department has to (a) utilise the provisions in Part 3 of the Data Protection and Digital Information (No. 2) Bill and (b) use smart data in new sectors.

The FCDO recognises the importance of data and evidence to enabling its diplomatic, development and consular work. The FCDO will work with Cabinet Office and others across HMG to ensure that the FCDO is able to take advantage of the benefits derived from data, including future developments in this space, whilst ensuring we remain compliant with existing data protection legislation.