Baroness Ashton

Baroness Ashton of Upholland (Labour) information Rights Minister (Parliamentary Under-Secretary) at the Department for Constitutional Affairs.

Issues

DNA database

Written Ministerial Statement EU: Justice and Home Affairs Informal Council 30 January 2007

...
The presidency then invited discussion on the possible incorporation of the Prüm treaty into EU law. The treaty, signed by seven member states on 27 May 2005, is designed to intensify cross-border police co-operation, especially in the fight against terrorism, cross-border crime and illegal immigration. It offers a model for information exchange in three areas: DNA, fingerprints and vehicle registration. The presidency has made it clear that it attaches significant importance to the incorporation of Prüm and sought views at the informal on such incorporation and whether it should be in whole or limited to only parts of the treaty.
There was consensus among member states that work should be taken forward on incorporating the third pillar elements of the Prüm Treaty (essentially the information-sharing parts) into EU law. The UK made clear that it supported practical co-operation in the areas of law enforcement and that it saw considerable value in transposing the Third-Pillar elements into EU law, subject to further consideration of whether this should be on an exact one-to-one basis. The UK stressed that whatever mechanism was agreed for incorporation, sufficient time needed to be allowed for national parliaments to scrutinise arrangements. It would be important, too, to consider fully the cost implications. The presidency noted that there was consensus to take work forward and that, in the light of the discussion, it would bring forward a proposal in advance of the February formal council.

Electronic Voting

House of Lords debate Use of personal identifier information 15 May 2006

... Amendment No. 44 relates to different types of remote electronic voting, which the noble Baroness touched upon. Piloting electronic voting allows for new technologies to be tested and for ways to be identified in which the security and accessibility of the vote can be improved. We have much learning from previous pilots that will enable us to continue to modernise how elections are held. However, I completely and utterly accept that it is critical to have security in any electronic voting. In any e-voting pilot we will seek to ensure that the most robust security standards are applied.
It is also important to note the trend in recent years toward lower levels of voter participation in elections, as noble Lords know. Although we recognise the complex causes of that trend, one response to it might be to make voting more accessible and straightforward. Ruling out ways in which we could develop pilots to identify different ways of voting might have the impact of discouraging people to vote. That may be especially true—she says with feeling as one who has teenagers at home—for younger people, who consider using technology to be perfectly normal and ordinary. So, while I would not want to rule that out either, I completely accept the principles behind it. We must make sure that we have absolutely dealt with the issues of security. Local authorities have also demonstrated an interest in using electronic voting and we have conducted a number of such pilots, as I have indicated. ...

Violent Computer Games

Written Ministerial Statement EU: Justice and Home Affairs Informal Council 30 January 2007

On violent video games, the presidency showed one recently banned in Germany. The Commission undertook to come forward with a communication setting out ideas, such as a forum for producers and Governments. The presidency suggested looking at better European co-ordination of restrictions, better information exchange on banned games and a discussion of the procedures for classifying and banning games.

Links

News

2006-10-19 - eGovMonitor - Data sharing and the public sector
Author: Shamit Ghosh
Summary: Baroness Ashton, Information Rights Minister at the Department for Constitutional Affairs in a recent interview with eGov monitor spoke about how technology can aid better public services while providing more transparency. While she did not express an absolute opinion on whether the role of the Information Commissioner should be expanded -- she did recognise that the ICO plays a key role in ensuring accountability in the process.
2006-10-09 - eGov monitor - Q&A Baroness Ashton, Information Rights Minister at the Department for Constitutional Affairs
Summary: Speaking to eGov monitor, Baroness Ashton explores in detail data sharing in the public sector and the role technology can play in making it more accountable as well as efficient among other issues
2006-09-14 - The Register - Gov spins data sharing
Author: Mark Ballard
Summary: Threatens Data Protection Act? The government has set out its "vision" for helping the disadvantaged of British society by sharing intelligence about them across the public sector. But it describes less a plan to help people or provide them with "customer-focused services" than to improve the government's powers of enforcement and control. "The government wants to deliver the best possible support to people in need," said Catherine Ashton, under secretary of state for the Department of Constitutional Affairs in the foreword to the Information Sharing Vision Statement, published yesterday.
2006-09-14 - Contractor UK - State wants to share citizen data with 'providers'
Summary: The government has beefed up its commitment to sharing data it holds on citizens, such as tax, employment and health information, with "service providers" in the UK private sector. ... Reflecting on the proposals, Information Rights minister Baroness Catherine Ashton, said: "This government wants to deliver the best possible support to people in need. We can only do this with the right information about people's circumstances." "We are determined that information-sharing will help us to better target support to the most disadvantaged in society."
2006-06-30 - The Register - NHS IT looks distinctly parrot-like as MS gets in a flap
Author: John Oates
Summary: Parliament's Committee of Constitutional Affairs said this week it was disappointed by the response of DCA minister Baroness Ashton to the problem. The committee said the Baroness had failed to take the issue as a serious threat. Freedom of Information rules won't be much use if no one can access the information in question.
2006-06-29 - The Register - Committee criticises DCA minister
Summary: Parliament's Committee on Constitutional Affairs has criticised the government for failing to acknowledge the "serious threat" to Freedom of Information (FOI) in how electronic records are stored. The cross party group of MPs have said they are "disappointed" with evidence provided by the Department of Constitutional Affairs minister Baroness Ashton on how the records will be preserved.
2004-19-05 - The Guardian - All eyes on the child
Author: John Carvel
Summary: Reading the children bill is enough to send a shiver down the spine of those concerned about the erosion of civil liberties. Legislation going through the Lords would give the government powers to make local authorities create an electronic file on all of England's 11 million children and allow them to include in it data regarded as confidential under common law. ... Education minister Catherine Ashton has written to peers promising amendments at the report stage of the bill to set limits on the IRT systems. She says the government is considering defining in the bill what sort of information could be held on each child and which bodies would be permitted to provide it. And rules controlling who had access to the data might be set out in regulations, subject to parliamentary approval, instead of being left to ministerial guidance. So ministers are clearly aware they need to respond to suspicion about their intentions
2001-09-04 - The Register - British schools in Net frenzy
Author: Linda Harrison
Summary: The government claimed today that virtually all British schools were now hooked up to the Net. ... Schools Minister Catherine Ashton said the government must ensure that all schools were connected soon, and promised help to any still not online. Oh, and she's pleased that 73 per cent of teachers say they feel confident using computers.
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