Data Protection Act 2018

179 Effectiveness of the media’s dispute resolution procedures

(1) The Secretary of State must, before the end of each review period, lay before Parliament a report produced by the Secretary of State or an appropriate person on—

(a) the use of relevant alternative dispute resolution procedures, during that period, in cases involving a failure, or alleged failure, by a relevant media organisation to comply with the data protection legislation, and

(b) the effectiveness of those procedures in such cases.

(2) In this section—

• “appropriate person” means a person who the Secretary of State considers has appropriate experience and skills to produce a report described in subsection (1);

• “relevant alternative dispute resolution procedures” means alternative dispute resolution procedures provided by persons who produce or enforce codes of practice for relevant media organisations;

• “relevant media organisation” means a body or other organisation whose activities consist of or include journalism, other than a broadcaster;

• “review period” means—

  (a)

  the period of 3 years beginning when this Act is passed, and

  (b)

  each subsequent period of 3 years.

(3) The Secretary of State must send a copy of the report to—

(a) the Scottish Ministers,

(b) the Welsh Ministers, and

(c) the Executive Office in Northern Ireland.