§ Mr. Matthew Taylorasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) which Government Departments have access to his Department's records at the Newcastle office; and if he will make a statement;
(2) if he will make a statement on the degree of confidentiality of his Department's records at Newcastle; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. PortilloThe rules governing the confidentiality of personal information in social security records apply equally to all the Department's offices—both local and central.
Information obtained from an individual for social security purposes is treated as confidential and to be used only for that purpose. It is not normally made available to other Government Departments.
There has to be close liaison between our offices and the Department of Employment and Inland Revenue because they act as agents for the Department in the payment of unemployment benefit and the collection of contributions respectively. Information from social security records necessary to the carrying out of these statutory functions may be disclosed to them.
In other circumstances, where there is no statutory function, requests for information from social security records made by other Government Departments are considered only if the information would prevent the duplication of public funds, would help in the prosecution of a serious crime or would meet the welfare needs of the individual concerned.