The government welcomes views on the following questions: Q4.3.3. To what extent do you agree with the proposal to clarify that public and private bodies may lawfully process health data when necessary for reasons of substantial public interest in relation to public health or other emergencies? ○ Strongly agree ○ Somewhat agree ○ Neither agree nor disagree ○ Somewhat disagree ○ Strongly disagree Please explain your answer, providing supporting evidence where possible.
Q4.3.4. What, if any, additional safeguards should be considered if this proposal were pursued? 4.4 Building Trust and Transparency 287. Public trust is vital to the delivery of better public services and outcomes for individuals. This section outlines measures to strengthen the transparency and clarity of personal data processing by the public sector. Public bodies should also be empowered to share and utilise more personal data in the public interest, while safeguarding data subjects’ rights and interests. Transparency mechanisms for algorithms 288. There are clear benefits to organisations, individuals and society in explaining algorithmic decision-making in the public sector. Providing explanations to individuals affected by such a decision can help organisations, including in the public sector, ensure greater fairness in the outcomes for different groups across society. 289. The UK’s current data protection framework already recognises the importance of public trust by imposing specific requirements on public authorities. 290. The government proposes introducing compulsory transparency reporting on the use of algorithms in decision-making for public authorities, government departments and government contractors using public data. This would provide much greater information about, for example, what datasets are being used, technical specifications of the algorithms, and how ethical considerations, such as mitigating bias, are addressed. The government welcomes views on the following questions: Q4.4.1. To what extent do you agree that compulsory transparency reporting on the use of algorithms in decision-making for public authorities, government departments and government contractors using public data will improve public trust in government use of data? ○ Strongly agree ○ Somewhat agree ○ Neither agree nor disagree ○ Somewhat disagree ○ Strongly disagree 107
