To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if her Department will take steps to encourage local authorities to sign up to the Information Commissioner’s Personal Information Promise. (258943)

This is a voluntary initiative and is a matter for individual local authorities who, like all public sector organisations are required to comply with data protection legislation.

My officials are working with the Local Government Association (LGA) to ensure that local authorities are aware as to how the “Personal Information Promise” relates to the guidance contained in LGA’s recently published local government data handling guidelines.