19. To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what plans he has to bring forward proposals to strengthen the protection of personal data held by public authorities; and if he will make a statement. (182484)

My Department will launch a consultation early in 2008 on proposals to strengthen the Data Protection Act 1998. This includes measures to enable the Information Commissioner to inspect public sector organisations without prior consent; new penalties for the most serious breaches of the Data Protection Act and proposals for funding the Commissioner's Office to carry out the work.