The Information Commissioner's Office has launched a consultation on its new best practice framework for sharing personal information between different organisations or departments.

The consultation period, which runs until the end of September, aims to garner feedback on the proposed guidelines, which are intended to provide organisations with a basis from which they can produce their own codes of practice for sharing sensitive personal data held on customers and employees.

The code of practice covers how best to ensure personal data is relevant, accurate, secure, processed for limited purposes and in line with legal requirements, and only transferred to other organisations with adequate safeguards.

Iain Bourne, head of data protection projects at the ICO, said the new framework would help clarify what is required of firms and "reduce the uncertainty that can surround information-sharing".

"Good practice in this area is of paramount importance," he added. " Organisations that share information must do so responsibly. If they do not, they risk losing individuals' trust."