Data (Use and Access) Bill Report Stage: New Clause 19

Parliament voted on 7 May 2025 on New Clause 19 to the Data (Use and Access) Bill at Report Stage. The clause proposed significant additional privacy protections and restrictions on the government's data sharing powers. The motion was defeated by 294 votes to 160, meaning the clause will not be added to the Bill.

The vote concerned how broadly the government can share and use data across public services as part of its digital transformation agenda. New Clause 19 would have imposed stronger limitations on those powers, with supporters arguing it was necessary to protect citizens' privacy. Its defeat means the Bill proceeds without those extra restrictions, leaving the government's data sharing framework largely intact and clearing the path for wider use of public sector data in modernising digital services.

The division split sharply along party lines. All Labour and Labour and Co-operative MPs who voted opposed the clause, providing the bulk of the 294 Noes. Supporting the clause were 90 Conservatives, 55 Liberal Democrats, 5 Reform UK MPs, 3 Greens, and a small number of independents and smaller parties. There were no notable cross-party rebels within the governing party. The vote reflects a recurring tension in the Bill's passage, with opposition parties consistently pressing for stronger privacy safeguards while the government resisted constraints on its data modernisation plans.