Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Information Commissioner is required to consult relevant stakeholders prior to issuing guidance; and whether there are any plans to review the way in which consultations on proposed guidance from the Information Commissioner's Office are conducted.

Under s51(3) of the Data Protection Act 1998 the Information Commissioner is required to consult 'with trade associations, data subjects or persons representing data subjects as appears to him to be appropriate' before preparing and publishing Codes of Practice or guidance.

The Information Commissioner regularly consults on new guidance and codes of practice – for example the recent Privacy Notices code of practice. Details of ICO consultations can be found on the ICO website www.ico.org.uk. The Information Commissioner will review the way in which the ICO consults and prepares guidance as part of its preparations to implement the EU General Data Protection Regulation. A consultation will also be held in relation to the statutory Code of Practice on direct marketing when the provisions in the Digital Economy Bill become law.