Mr. Dale Sunderland:

I might refer to Mr. Carroll, who can talk about General Data Protection Regulation, GDPR in provisions that allow for restated views for research purposes. What our office wants to ensure is not to inhibit in any way the sharing of information or we recognise fully, as is set out in European law, that data sharing and processing of personal information is to serve mankind. It is there for good societal reasons. What we are concerned about is that it is done in the right way. That is why we emphasise the importance of doing the proper analysis, the proper privacy impact assessments and the proper balancing tests. If they are properly worked into any project and the proper assessments are worked through, one will make the right decision on whether it is possible to share the data on the existing legal basis or whether a new legislative basis is required and whether that respects EU law.

There is certainly scope to allow issues such as Deputy Sherlock raised to be progressed but from our view what is important is the way in which they are progressed and that the proper assessments are done.