Data (Use and Access) Bill CCLM: motion to insist Commons Amendment 32

Parliament voted on 14 May 2025 to insist on the Commons' position regarding Amendment 32 of the Data (Use and Access) Bill, rejecting modifications proposed by the House of Lords. The motion passed by 371 votes to 98, a comfortable majority for the government. The vote was part of the parliamentary "ping-pong" process, in which a bill passes back and forth between the two chambers until both agree on its final text.

The Data (Use and Access) Bill governs how personal and public data can be collected, shared and used across government and private sectors. Amendment 32 specifically concerned rules around data access, and the Commons voted to maintain its own version of those rules rather than accept the Lords' revised wording. The practical effect is that the government's preferred framework for data access will be preserved, shaping how individuals, businesses and public bodies interact with data systems in the United Kingdom.

The vote revealed a broad coalition in favour of the government's position. Labour MPs, Liberal Democrats, the SNP, Plaid Cymru and the Greens all voted with the government, producing the large majority. Conservative MPs were the main bloc in opposition, with 90 voting against, joined by Reform UK's seven MPs and two independents. The absence of any Labour rebels and the alignment of several smaller parties with the government reflects the broadly cross-party consensus that the bill, while contested in detail, should proceed broadly on the Commons' terms. The vote sits within a longer legislative tussle, with subsequent ping-pong divisions on related amendments continuing into June 2025.