Data (Use and Access) Bill Report Stage: New Clause 21

Parliament voted on New Clause 21 during the Report Stage of the Data (Use and Access) Bill on 7 May 2025. The clause was defeated by 363 votes to 97. The proposal was brought forward primarily by Conservative MPs, with small contributions from Reform UK and a handful of independents, while the government and its allies voted against. The vote concerned whether to add stronger restrictions or privacy protections to the Data (Use and Access) Bill, a piece of legislation designed to reform how data is collected, shared and used across public services and the wider economy. Defeating the new clause means the bill proceeds without those additional constraints, leaving the government with broader powers to enable data sharing between public bodies and other organisations. The practical effect is that the framework governing digital government, data use for public services, and related commercial activity will reflect the government's preferred, less restrictive approach. The division fell almost entirely along party lines. All Conservative MPs who voted supported the new clause, joined by five Reform UK members, one Democratic Unionist Party MP and two independents. Every Labour, Liberal Democrat, Labour and Co-operative, SNP, Plaid Cymru and Green MP who voted opposed it, reflecting strong cross-party support for the government's position among parties that would not normally be expected to agree. The vote is part of a sustained legislative battle over this bill, with subsequent divisions in May and June 2025 showing continued conflict between the Commons and the Lords over related data-access provisions, particularly around Amendment 49 in its various iterations.