Surveillance: use, effectiveness and enforcing data protection with

Jonathan Bamford, Assistant Commissioner, Director of Data Protection Development Information Commissioner’s Office,

and Eleanor Laing MP, Shadow Minister for Justice

Morning, 17th February 2010, Central London

Live Agenda – Website – Book Online
Seminar
This timely seminar will examine latest thinking on key policy issues surrounding surveillance in the UK – focusing in particular on the use and protection of personal data. The meeting will bring together policy makers from Government and Parliament with representatives from the legal profession, academia, citizen’s groups, the security and other industry sectors, and further interested parties. It is organised on the basis of strict impartiality by the Westminster Legal Policy Forum and Westminster eForum. It will include contributions from key policy makers with keynote addresses from the Information Commissioner’s Office and the Shadow Minister for Justice who will outline Conservative Party Policy in this area. The agenda focuses on the policy and privacy issues raised by the collection of data, such as the retention of DNA samples, the images created by the newly introduced full-body scanners, and Britain’s extensive use of CCTV. Questions will be asked about the extent to which data collected is assisting with the prevention of crime.

In addition, panel sessions will consider how concerns over data security can be addressed and what measures can be taken by organisations and individuals to keep information secure. Delegates will also discuss the powers of the Information Commissioner’s Office and whether they are sufficient to protect the public from data misuse.
Overall, sessions will examine:

The current scale of surveillance in the UK:

• What information is being collected and retained by Government and other public bodies, the development of surveillance methods and how the scale of surveillance compares internationally;

The retention of personal information by Government and private industry:

• How surveillance impacts upon individual civil liberties;
• The role of CCTV networks, retention of DNA samples and the monitoring of communications traffic assist, play in the fight against crime; and
• The privacy concerns which are raised by the retention and use of personal data.

The way forward for data protection policy:

• What areas of data protection legislation need strengthening in order to safeguard the public’s personal information; and
• The impact of the increased powers of the Information Commissioner on data security.

A copy of the draft agenda is below my signature, and changes will be available to see – as they happen – via our web site.

Speakers

We are delighted to be able to include in this seminar keynote addresses from: Jonathan Bamford, Assistant Commissioner, Director of Data Protection Development, Information Commissioner’s Office and Eleanor Laing MP, Shadow Minister for Justice.

Other confirmed speakers include:

• Francis Aldhouse, Principal, Information Policy & Rights;
• Dr James Backhouse, Reader in Information Systems, Information Systems and Innovation Group, Department of Management, London School of Economics and Political Science;
• Dr Ian Brown, Senior Research Fellow, Oxford Internet Institute;
• Dominic Connor, Director, P&D Quantitative Recruitment;
• Councillor Nick Cuff, Chairman, Regulation & Community Safety Overview & Scrutiny Committee, London Borough of Wandsworth;
• Stephen Deadman, Head of Legal, Privacy, Security & Content Standards, Vodafone Group Services;
• Anna Fielder, Consumer Policy Advisor and Member of Board of Trustees, Privacy International;
• Nick Gargan, Deputy Chief Executive, National Policing Improvement Agency;
• Richard Jones, Director, Data Privacy, Clifford Chance;
• Peter Mahy, Partner and Head of Civil Liberties, Howells Solicitors (Sheffield);
• Dr Chris Pounder, Director, Amberhawk Training;
• Professor Charles Raab, Professor Emeritus and Honorary Professorial Fellow, School of Social and Political Science, University of Edinburgh; and
• Isabella Sankey, Director of Policy, Liberty.

Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for the Home Office, and Philip Virgo, Secretary-General of Eurim have kindly agreed to chair this seminar.

Delegates

We expect attendees and speakers to be a senior and informed group numbering around 100, including Members of both Houses of Parliament, senior government officials involved in this area of public policy, senior representatives from the security and other relevant sectors, law firms, local government, as well as academics, charities and campaign groups, and representatives of the trade and national press.

Places booked by senior officials from the: Department for Children, Schools and Families; Department for Work and Pensions; Home Office; Identity and Passport Service; Ministry of Justice; Office for National Statistics; and the UK Border Agency.

Other organisations have also reserved places including: Association of Panel Members; AXIS Communications UK; Communications Management Association; CRP News; Deloitte; Denton Wilde Sapte; Detica; Direct Marketing Association; Doughty Street Chambers; Experian; Gardant Communications; HP Labs; Hunton & Williams; Information Age; IT Pro; Lockheed Martin; London School of Economics and Political Science; Lynceus; National Policing Improvement Agency; NHS Connecting for Health; Orange UK; Police Superintendents’ Association of England and Wales; Press Association; Reed Elsevier; Royal Holloway, University of London; Sandwell MBC; SC Magazine; The Register; Virtual Policy Network and ZDNet UK.

Output and About us

A key output of the seminar will be a transcript of the proceedings, sent out within a week of the event to all attendees and a wider group of Ministers and officials at the Home Office, Ministry of Justice and other government departments; officials at the Information Commissioner’s Office and other agencies affected by the issues; and Parliamentarians with a special interest in these areas. It will also be made available more widely. It will include transcripts of all speeches and questions and answers sessions from the day, along with access to PowerPoint presentations, speakers’ biographies, an attendee list, an agenda and sponsor information. It is made available subject to strict restrictions on public use, similar to those for Select Committee Uncorrected Evidence, and is intended to provide timely information for interested parties who are unable to attend on the day.

All delegates will receive free PDF copies and are invited to contribute to the content.

The Westminster Legal Policy Forum and Westminster eForum are divisions of Westminster Forum Projects, an impartial and cross-party organisation which has no policy agenda of its own. Forums operated by Westminster Forum Projects enjoy considerable support from within Parliament and Government.

Booking arrangements

To book places, please use our online booking form.

Once submitted, this will be taken as a confirmed booking and will be subject to our terms and conditions below. Please pay in advance by credit card on 01276 489144. If advance credit card payment is not possible, please let me know and we may be able make other arrangements.

Options and charges are as follows:

Places at Surveillance: use, effectiveness and enforcing data protection (including refreshments and PDF copy of the transcripts) are £190 plus VAT (£223.25); Concessionary rate places for small charities, unfunded individuals and those in similar circumstances are £80 plus VAT (£94.00). Please be sure to apply for this at the time of booking.

For those who cannot attend:

Copies of the briefing document, including full transcripts of all speeches and the questions and comments sessions and further articles from interested parties, will be available approximately 7 days after the event for £95 plus VAT (£111.63);
Concessionary rate: £50 plus VAT (£58.75).

To order please follow the link here.

If you find the charge for tickets a barrier to attending, please let me know and we will do our best to see you are not excluded. Please note terms and conditions below (including cancellation charges).