The Secretary of State may prepare a document, called the Framework for Data Processing by Government, which contains guidance about the processing of personal data in connection with the exercise of functions of—
The document may make provision relating to all of those functions or only to particular functions or persons.
The document may not make provision relating to, or to the functions of, a part of the Scottish Administration, the Welsh Government, a Northern Ireland Minister or a Northern Ireland department.
The Secretary of State may from time to time prepare amendments of the document or a replacement document.
Before preparing a document or amendments under this section, the Secretary of State must consult—
Regulations under subsection (1)(b) are subject to the negative resolution procedure.
In this section, "Northern Ireland Minister" includes the First Minister and deputy First Minister in Northern Ireland.