HC Deb 20 April 1971 vol 815 cc933-4
12. Mr. Leslie Huckfield

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what arrangements have been made to integrate data on farmers' incomes with data stored in computer databanks operated by other Government departments.

Mr. Anthony Stodart

None, Sir.

Mr. Huckfield

I am grateful for that enlightening answer. Would not the Parliamentary Secretary admit that there is at least a temptation to integrate data from various sources as that which would save farmers filling out so many forms? When he succumbs to the temptation, will he ensure that adequate safeguards are maintained to ensure the confidentiality of this information?

Mr. Stodart

I am well aware, as is the House, of the hon. Gentleman's anxiety on this subject. There are some 2,500 farm businesses which provide information on various items to the Department. It is passed to the university departments which then send it to us in a form which absolutely ensures non-identification of contributors. It would thus be physically impossible for us to associate any of this information with other information about the same farm.