The Government’s data reforms are progressing through Parliament, and have already entered the so-called committee stage, with members of the House of Lords beginning their line by line scrutiny of the proposed legislation, including the DMA’s call for a major amendment.
The Data (Use and Access) Bill had its first reading in the Lords on October 23, its second reading on November 19 and now, starting from the front of the bill, members will work through the clauses in order, considering amendments to the wording or proposals for new clauses.
Members have already put forward over 200 amendments to the bill on subjects including cyber resilience, the accountability of digital verification services, and supporting digital inclusion.
Three peers, Lord Clement-Jones, Lord Black of Brentwood and Baroness Harding of Winscombe, have backed the DMA’s call for an amendment to reinstate the soft opt-in for charity email marketing. This proposal was included in the previous iteration of the bill but ditched in the current reforms.
In their notes the three Lords state: “This amendment will enable charities to communicate to donors in the same way that businesses have been able to communicate to customers since 2003. The clause will help facilitate greater fundraising and support the important work charities do for society.”
According to a study by The Salocin Group agency Wood for Trees, the U-turn could benefit charities to the tune of £290m a year.
Last week, Wood for Trees chief growth officer J Cromack said: “Email marketing for charities can be an extremely valuable asset to improve supporter experience and increase long-term value. We’ve the chance to make a real difference and ensure charities don’t continue to miss out on millions of additional revenue to fund their critical missions by reinstating soft opt-in for charities in the DUA Bill and securing government support.”
The amendment has yet to be debated.
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