The European Commission recently published new proposals2 concerning the protection of personal data. We are taking a leading role in these negotiations with the aim of securing a framework that protects the civil liberties of individuals, while allowing for proper public protection, transparency and economic growth and innovation. The Government believes these goals can be achieved in tandem, not at the expense of one or the other. These negotiations will take time so we also want to reinforce the fact that there is an existing, robust framework in place to manage concerns about privacy and data protection. This is essential for maintaining public trust in the Transparency Programme.