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Information Commissioner appointment hearing: Committee publishes report

28 April 2016

The Culture Media and Sport Committee has approved the appointment of Elizabeth Denham as the new UK Information Commissioner

The Committee held a pre-appointment hearing with Ms Denham, the Government's preferred candidate, on Wednesday 27 April 2016 afternoon.

Chair's comment

Jesse Norman MP, Chair of the Committee, said:

"The Committee noted with interest Ms Denham's views on a range of topics, including the possible retention of emails as official records, the extension of FOI and directors' liability for data breaches, in particular.

We also noted Ms Denham's track record on data protection with Government in British Columbia, and her proactive approach to protection of privacy with major international technology companies."

Pre-appointment session focus

The ICO previously fell under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Justice and since September 2015 is now part of the remit of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. The pre-appointment session was held to assess the suitability of the Government's preferred candidate for Information Commissioner.

Further information

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