Extract from committee stage proceedings on the Data Protection and Digital Information (No. 2) Bill - May 10

Dr Rupa Huq (Ealing Central and Acton) (Lab): When I was on the Criminal Finances Bill Committee, lots was promised, but the National Crime Agency then claimed that it was not financed enough to pursue all the unexplained wealth orders that were promised. Do you think that a beefed-up Information Commission will be sufficiently well resourced to do all the things it is meant to do?

John Edwards, Information Commissioner, Information Commissioner's Office: In short, yes. We are having discussions about the funding model with DSIT. We are funded by levies. There are two questions: one is about how those levies are set and where the burden of funding our office lies in the economy, and the second is about the overall quantum. We can always do more with more. If you look at the White Paper on artificial intelligence and the Vallance report, you will see that there is a role for our office to patrol the new boundaries of AI. In order to do that, we will have to be funded appropriately, but I have a good relationship with our sponsor Department and am confident that we will be able to discharge all the responsibilities in the Bill.

For context, OPEN HERE