Data (Use and Access) Bill CCLM: motion to disagree Lords Amendment 49B

Parliament voted on 14 May 2025 to reject Lords Amendment 49B to the Data (Use and Access) Bill, passing the motion to disagree by 297 votes to 168. The amendment had been introduced by the House of Lords to modify data use policies in the direction of greater privacy protections. By voting to reject it, the Commons majority preserved the government's preferred approach to data access and sharing, sending the legislation back to the Lords as part of an ongoing process of negotiation between the two chambers.

The practical significance of this vote lies in how it shapes the legal framework governing how data can be used and shared across public and private sectors in the United Kingdom. The government's position, backed by the Aye majority, favours a framework oriented toward enabling data sharing and digital innovation. The Lords amendment, backed by those voting No, would have modified that framework to give greater weight to privacy protections. The outcome means the government's version of the relevant provisions remains in place, affecting individuals, public bodies, and organisations that handle personal data.

The vote divided almost entirely along party lines. Labour and Labour and Co-operative MPs provided 295 of the 297 Aye votes, with just two Independents joining them. All 90 Conservative MPs who voted, all 53 Liberal Democrats, all seven Reform UK members, all five SNP members, all four Plaid Cymru members, all three Greens, and one independent alongside one MP from Your Party voted No. There were no notable cross-party rebels on the government benches. This division sits within a sustained back-and-forth between the Commons and the Lords over the Bill, with multiple related votes in May and June 2025 showing the same pattern of the government using its Commons majority to reverse Lords amendments on data policy questions.