BCC responds to announcement of Data Protection Bill

7th August 2017

Commenting on the proposed Data Protection Bill, Dr Adam Marshall, Director General of the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), said: -Businesses up and down the country are already preparing for the implementation of the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) next year.

Bringing these measures into domestic law now will give businesses more certainty about the UK's data protection regime during the Brexit transition, but more communication is needed to ensure that every company is aware of the changes. -Firms of every sector want to be sure that their trade with suppliers and customers around Europe can continue without interruption, which means that the long-term compatibility of UK and EU data protection rules must be a priority. -While consumers need assurance from business that any personal data held will not be misused, businesses too need a helping hand from government as these changes come into effect, particularly those at the smaller end of the scale. This is a complex set of changes, so firms must be helped to get them right and no small- or medium-sized business working hard to adapt to the new regime should be hauled over the coals for unintentional mistakes in the early days. We await further information when the Bill is published later this year on whether the proposals meet these tests.