§ Mr. Michael Marshallasked the Prime Minister (1) to what extent the Home Office's data processing activities are duplicated by (a) the Inland Revenue, (b) Her Majesty's Customs and Excise and (c) the Department of Health and Social Security;
(2) to what extent the Department of Health and Social Security's data processing activities are duplicated by (a) the Inland Revenue, (b) Her Majesty's Customs and Excise and (c) the Home Office.
§ The Prime MinisterGovernment Departments do not, in discharging their own responsibilities, deliberately duplicate data processing activities of other Departments.
The Department of Health and Social Security exchanges approximately 40 million data items with the Inland Revenue each year in the process of collecting national insurance contributions and income tax, and in relation to pensioners working and paying income tax; duplication of data processing activities takes place only in that this common information is shared.