Statement about the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with His Majesty's Government

The ICO and His Majesty’s Government have today (8 January) signed an important Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) which sets out government’s commitment to raise data protection standards.  

The commitment follows several serious, high-profile data breaches that undermined public trust in government, some of which also placed lives at risk.  

We have been clear that government needs to do more and move faster to improve data security as part of wider data protection practices, and we welcomed the government’s commitments to the Chair of the Science, Innovation and Technology (SIT) Committee in 2025. This MOU formalises that action, setting clear expectations and a pathway for government to address concerns about its approach to data protection, rebuild trust with the public and improve transparency and accountability in how government departments treat and handle people’s personal information. 

This MOU is further strengthened by the leadership of the Government Chief Data Officer and expert network of departmental data protection officers who play a vital role in embedding good data practice and culture across government. 

As the data protection regulator for the UK, it is our role to oversee organisations and provide regulatory certainty through timely support and products that enable meaningful and lasting change. The MOU sets out this role and details how we will provide advice, scrutiny and challenge at all levels. Where standards are not met or maintained, the MOU reinforces the mechanisms available to us to hold government to account and take appropriate action where necessary.  

The MOU commits government to publishing an annual assurance statement on GOV.UK on its progress. This is part of a series of important steps toward greater transparency and public accountability in evidencing whether they are delivering improvements. This applies to both current work and future initiatives that rely on new technologies to innovate with data to transform public services.