• Public to have greater control over personal data – including right to be forgotten
• New right to require social media platforms to delete information on children and adults when asked

In a statement of intent the Government has committed to updating and strengthening data protection laws through a new Data Protection Bill. It will provide everyone with the confidence that their data will be managed securely and safely. Research shows that more than 80 per cent of people feel that they do not have complete control over their data online.

Under the plans individuals will have more control over their data by having the right to be forgotten and ask for their personal data to be erased. This will also mean that people can ask social media channels to delete information they posted in their childhood. The reliance on default opt-out or pre-selected ‘tick boxes’, which are largely ignored, to give consent for organisations to collect personal data will also become a thing of the past.

Businesses will be supported to ensure they are able to manage and secure data properly. The data protection regulator, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), will also be given more power to defend consumer interests and issue higher fines, of up to £17 million or 4 per cent of global turnover, in cases of the most serious data breaches.

Matt Hancock, Minister of State for Digital said:

Our measures are designed to support businesses in their use of data, and give consumers the confidence that their data is protected and those who misuse it will be held to account.

The new Data Protection Bill will give us one of the most robust, yet dynamic, set of data laws in the world. The Bill will give people more control over their data, require more consent for its use, and prepare Britain for Brexit. We have some of the best data science in the world and this new law will help it to thrive.

Matt Hancock explains the Data Protection Bill

The Data Protection Bill will:

• Make it simpler to withdraw consent for the use of personal data
• Allow people to ask for their personal data held by companies to be erased
• Enable parents and guardians to give consent for their child’s data to be used
• Require ‘explicit’ consent to be necessary for processing sensitive personal data
• Expand the definition of ‘personal data’ to include IP addresses, internet cookies and DNA
• Update and strengthen data protection law to reflect the changing nature and scope of the digital economy
• Make it easier and free for individuals to require an organisation to disclose the personal data it holds on them
• Make it easier for customers to move data between service providers

New criminal offences will be created to deter organisations from either intentionally or recklessly creating situations where someone could be identified from anonymised data.

Elizabeth Denham, Information Commissioner, said:

We are pleased the government recognises the importance of data protection, its central role in increasing trust and confidence in the digital economy and the benefits the enhanced protections will bring to the public.

Data protection rules will also be made clearer for those who handle data but they will be made more accountable for the data they process with the priority on personal privacy rights. Those organisations carrying out high-risk data processing will be obliged to carry out impact assessments to understand the risks involved.

The Bill will bring the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) into UK law, helping Britain prepare for a successful Brexit.

Julian David, CEO of techUK, said:

The UK has always been a world leader in data protection and data-driven innovation. Key to realising the full opportunities of data is building a culture of trust and confidence.

This statement of intent is an important and welcome first step in that process. techUK supports the aim of a Data Protection Bill that implements GDPR in full, puts the UK in a strong position to secure unhindered data flows once it has left the EU, and gives businesses the clarity they need about their new obligations.

A new generation of internet-connected cars will have to be better protected from hackers, under tough new government guidance issued today (6 August 2017).

Smart vehicles are increasingly becoming the norm on British roads – allowing drivers to access maps, travel information and new digital radio services from the driving seat.

But while smart cars and vans offer new services for drivers, it is feared would-be hackers could target them to access personal data, steal cars that use keyless entry, or even take control of technology for malicious reasons.

Now new government guidance will ensure engineers developing smart vehicles will have to toughen up cyber protections and help design out hacking. The government is also looking at a broader programme of work announced in this year’s Queen’s speech under the landmark Autonomous and Electric Vehicles Bill that aims to create a new framework for self-driving vehicle insurance.

The legislation will put Britain at the centre of the new technological developments in smart and autonomous vehicles – but while ensuring safety and consumer protection remain at the heart of the emerging industry.

Measures to be put before Parliament mean that insuring modern vehicles will provide protection for consumers if technologies fail.

This comes alongside new guidance that means manufacturers will need to design out cyber security threats as part of their development work.

This will cement the UK as a world-leading location for research and development for the next generation of vehicles. And it forms part of the government’s drive to ensure the country harnesses the economic and job-creating potential of new tech industries.

Transport Minister Lord Callanan said:

Our cars are becoming smarter and self-driving technology will revolutionise the way in which we travel. Risks of people hacking into the technology might be low, but we must make sure the public is protected. Whether we’re turning vehicles into wifi connected hotspots or equipping them with millions of lines of code to become fully automated, it is important that they are protected against cyber-attacks.

That’s why it’s essential all parties involved in the manufacturing and supply chain are provided with a consistent set of guidelines that support this global industry. Our key principles give advice on what organisations should do, from the board level down, as well as technical design and development considerations.

Mike Hawes, Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders Chief Executive, said:

We’re pleased that government is taking action now to ensure a seamless transition to fully connected and autonomous cars in the future and, given this shift will take place globally, that it is championing cyber security and shared best practice at an international level. These vehicles will transform our roads and society, dramatically reducing accidents and saving thousands of lives. A consistent set of guidelines is an important step towards ensuring the UK can be among the first – and safest – of international markets to grasp the benefits of this exciting new technology.

The government will continue to support and work collaboratively with industry to make sure vehicles are protected from cyber-attacks. The guidance principles published today will form a key part of these discussions .

An independent review into the cost of energy led by Professor Dieter Helm CBE will recommend ways to keep energy prices as low as possible as part of the Industrial Strategy, Business and Energy Secretary Greg Clark announced today.

Professor Dieter Helm, one of Britain’s leading energy experts, will look specifically at how the energy industry, government and regulators can keep the cost of electricity as low as possible, while ensuring the UK meets its domestic and international climate targets.

This ambitious review builds on the commitment made in the Industrial Strategy green paper and will consider the whole electricity supply chain – generation, transmission, distribution and supply. It will look for opportunities to reduce costs in each element and consider the implications of the changing demand for electricity, including the role of innovative technologies such as electric vehicles, storage, robotics and artificial intelligence.

The ambition is for the UK to have the lowest energy costs in Europe, for both households and businesses.

Business and Energy Secretary Greg Clark said:

All homes and businesses rely on an affordable and secure energy supply and the government is upgrading our energy system to make it fit for the future. We want to ensure we continue to find the opportunities to keep energy costs as low as possible, while meeting our climate change targets, as part of the Industrial Strategy.

The review will consider how we can take advantage of changes to our power system and new technologies to ensure clean, secure and affordable supplies over the coming decades. Professor Helm will bring invaluable expertise to the review, and I look forward to seeing his recommendations.

Professor Helm is one of Britain’s leading energy experts, a Professor of Economic Policy at the University of Oxford and a Fellow in Economics at New College Oxford, and a former member of the Council of Science and Technology, advising the UK Prime Minister from 2004 to 2007.

Professor Dieter Helm CBE said:

I am delighted to take on this Review. The cost of energy always matters to households and companies, and especially now in these exceptional times, with huge investment requirements to meet the decarbonisation and security challenges ahead over the next decade and beyond. Digitalisation, electric transport and smart and decentralised systems offer great opportunities. It is imperative to do all this efficiently, to minimise the burdens. Making people and companies pay excessively for policy and market inefficiencies risks undermining the objectives themselves.

My review will be independent and sort out the facts from the myths about the cost of energy, and make recommendations about how to more effectively achieve the overall objectives.

The government is already taking action, and has asked the regulator to come forward with proposals to extend the price protection currently in place for some vulnerable energy consumers to more people on the poorest value tariffs. This builds on action taken to cap the price for 4 million pre-payment meter customers which came into force on 1 April 2017.

There are also a number of schemes in place to reduce energy bills by improving energy efficiency, such as the Energy Company Obligation which will upgrade 200,000 homes each year and help tackle fuel poverty. For business, the package of relief for energy intensive industries was worth £260 million last year and there are financial incentives to switch to cleaner fuels and processes.

This review will consider the electricity system as a whole and make recommendations on how to deliver affordable energy over the coming decades. It follows the plan set out in July by government and Ofgem for a smarter energy system and the commitment to ensure Britain’s energy costs are as low as possible.

An advisory panel will support the reviewer by providing expert insights in a personal capacity:

• Terry Scuoler CBE, Chief Executive of EEF, the Manufacturers’ Organisation
• Nick Winser CBE, Chairman of the Energy Systems Catapult
• Laura Sandys, Chief Executive of Challenging Ideas
• Isobel Sheldon, Engineering & Technology Director of Johnson Matthey Battery Systems
• Richard Nourse, Managing Partner of Greencoat Capital LLP

Notes to editors:

1. The commitment to review the cost of energy was set out on page 94 of the Industrial Strategy Green Paper

2. Ofgem figures show the main costs of supplying a typical domestic customer are 4% lower than at January 2015.

3. The Terms of Reference of the Review are set out below:

   • The government has the ambition for the UK to have the lowest energy costs in Europe, for both households and businesses.

   • The UK was the first country in the world to set a long-term, legally binding target for emission reduction. The Climate Change Act commits the UK to reduce emissions by at least 80% by 2050, and sets a framework for the setting of rolling five-year carbon budgets. Parliament has recently approved the 5th carbon budget, for the period 2028-2032, at a 57% reduction on 1990 levels.

   • The carbon targets need to be met, whilst concurrently ensuring security of supplies of energy, in the most cost-effective way. The rapid closure of coal, the aging of the existing nuclear fleet, the intermittency of some renewables, the scope for demand management and new storage, the coming of electric vehicles and the timing of future nuclear capacity coming on stream will be taken into account in considering how best to meet the overall objective of system security of supply.

   • The specific aim of this review is to report and make recommendations on how these objectives can be met in the power sector at minimum cost and without imposing further costs on the exchequer. In that context the review will consider the implications of the changing demand for power, including from industry, heat and transport.

   • The review will report on the full supply chain of electricity generation, transmission, distribution and supply, and consider the opportunities to reduce costs in each part, taking into account the roll-out of smart meters and the work already underway to underpin the transition to a smarter energy system.

   • The review will set out options for a long term road map for the power sector, and consider how technological change in the wider economy, as well as in the energy sector, may transform the power sector, and how energy policy can best facilitate and encourage such developments, consistent with the overall objectives of decarbonisation and security of supply, and with its industrial strategy.

   • The review will consider the options for enhancing and extending the scope for auctions and other competitive mechanisms, and for reducing the complexity across the full supply chain of electricity generation.

   • The review will consider the key factors affecting energy bills, including but not limited to energy and carbon pricing, energy efficiency, distributed generation, regulation of the networks, and innovation and R&D. The review will not propose detailed tax changes.

   • The review will focus on system issues and will not comment on the status of individual projects.

   • The review will provide recommendations as to how best minimise the costs of energy consistent with the overarching objectives, taking account of the costs and benefits of the recommendations. It will set out options for developing and enhancing energy policy. Where the issues the review covers fall to other players, for example Ofgem, it will make recommendations about how government can best work with them to reduce costs.

   • The review will report at the end of October 2017.

4. Professor Dieter Helm – declaration of interest (PDF, 10KB, 1 page) .

Thank you Mr President.

North Korea is no longer a threat faced by a single country or a single region. It is instead a threat that confronts us all. These two tests in the last month were of an intercontinental missile, extending the threat much further than before, to many more countries. In a world where North Korean missile tests seem routine, let me be clear: this is not business as usual.

Make no mistake, as North Korea’s missile capabilities advance, so too does their contempt and disregard for this Security Council. We must meet this belligerence with clear, unequivocal condemnation and with clear, unequivocal consequences.

Today Mr. President, we have banned North Korean exports of coal, iron ore, lead and seafood. These are the lifeline exports that sustain Kim Jong-Un’s deadly aspirations. In simple terms, should the North Korean regime continue its reckless pursuit of an illegal missile programme and a deadly nuclear programme, they will have vastly less resources to do so.

We have also capped the number of foreign workers from North Korea. Every year DPRK sends thousands of ordinary workers overseas. They often endure poor conditions and long hours, and their toil serves to provide critical foreign currency for North Korean government coffers. This is undoubtedly a form of modern slavery and today we have taken the first step to ending it. The world will now monitor and curtail work authorisations for these desperate expatriates.

And for those who are already a victim of this abusive system, trust that the United Kingdom will continue to work toward a complete end to North Korea’s institutionalized modern slavery.

Mr. President,

North Korea bears full responsibility for the measures we have enacted today. By acting in flagrant violation of its legal obligations, by going against the will of the Security Council expressed in countless Resolutions, North Korea has chosen the path it now finds itself on. It is a path that, at a minimum, will lead to the further suffering for its own people, and at most could prove to be catastrophic for the whole world.

It does not have to be this way. North Korea should forgo the path of provocation; forgo the path of further escalation. There is no reason why the people of North Korea cannot share the normal, prosperous life of their neighbours. The world would welcome them, not threaten them.

So in this Chamber let us once again call on North Korea to halt and reverse its nuclear and missile development programmes. Let us once again call on them to prioritise the well being of their people over their illegal and destabilising military programmes.

North Korea’s security and wellbeing do not depend on nuclear weapons. They do not depend on far reaching missiles. They do not depend on a myth of self-sufficient defiance of the wider world. To live in constant tension with the world cannot be in the interests of North Korea’s regime, let alone its people.

Mr. President,

We have taken a step forward. We have spoken with a unified voice that we are ready to act in an unprecedented way in response to North Korea’s reckless nuclear pursuit. Every country must ensure that these measures are adhered to. Every country must live up to our word. This time there is too much at stake. We simply cannot afford to fail.

Thank you.

The UN resolution strengthens sanctions against North Korea following their recent ballistic missile tests.