Referral fees and the theft of personal data: Government Response
12 December 2011
The Government has today issued its response to the Committee’s Report Referral fees and the theft of personal data: evidence from the Information Commissioner.
Chair's comments
Commenting on the response, the Chair of the Committee, Rt Hon Sir Alan Beith MP, said:
"This is a disappointing response in the light of the Information Commissioner’s clear statements that his enforcement capacity is limited by the absence of a custodial sentence for the most serious cases of abuse of personal information. It is likely that Ministers will have to return both to this issue and to the issue of referral fees in areas other than personal injury, where they are taking welcome action."
Note for editors
The Justice Committee published its Ninth Report of Session 2010–12, Referral fees and the theft of personal data: evidence from the Information Commissioner (PDF), on 27 October as HC 1473. The Government published its response, Government Response to the House of Commons’ Justice Committee Ninth Report of Session 2010–12: Referral fees and the theft of personal data, on 12 December as Cm 8240.