On 22 May 2024, the Prime Minister announced that a general election is to be held on 4 July 2024. Following this announcement, UK Parliament entered into a two-day “wash-up” period with the aim of passing any uncompleted legislation, which would otherwise fall away. 

The Data Protection and Digital Information Bill (DPDI Bill) was among a number of important bills and secondary legislation that fell victim to the two-day wash up period which ended when Parliament was prorogued on 24 May. 

The DPDI Bill was an important evolution of the UK’s data protection framework containing changes to the UK General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018. Broadly, the DPDI aimed to liberalise existing UK data protection law by removing unnecessary “red tape” and to make the UK a more appealing location for business. For more details on the DPDI Bill, please see our insight here.

The DPDI had received broad support in Parliament for the wider reforms it introduced, having been passed by the House of Commons and at the committee stage in the House of Lords when Parliament was prorogued. 

It may not be over for the DPDI Bill as we await to see what is on the agenda for the incoming government – could the DPDI Bill be making a comeback?