The Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA) received Royal Assent on Thursday 23 May.  The Act updates data protection laws in the UK, supplementing the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) which comes into force on 25 May 2018, implementing the EU Law Enforcement Directive, as well as extending data protection laws to areas which are not covered by the GDPR eg the insurance sector lobbied for the introduction of the so-called new ‘insurance purposes’ ground for the processing of certain special categories of personal data where necessary in the ‘substantial public interest’.

Insurance market participants can rely on this new ground where the processing of certain special categories of personal data is (see Paragraph 20 of Schedule 1, Part 2 of the DPA):

(a) is necessary for an insurance purpose,

(b) is of personal data revealing racial or ethnic origin, religious or philosophical beliefs or trade union membership, genetic data or data concerning health, and

(c) is necessary for reasons of substantial public interest.

 

Any queries about the effects of the Data Protection Act contact Lesley Cooper, Quality training and compliance director on 0121 423 6215 or Lesley.cooper@hettleandrews.co.uk