HC Deb 13 November 1987 vol 122 cc372-3W
Mr. Cohen

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will specify the documents and sources which poll tax registration officers will use in compiling the basic register and any secondary registers; what steps will he taken to ensure that the full safeguards ensued in the Data Protection Act apply to such personal information on both registers; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Lang

Sections 17 and 18 of the Abolition of Domestic Rates Etc. (Scotland) Act 1987 set out the arrangements for the provision of information to community charges registration officers. The main sources of information will be a "responsible person" who will respond to canvass inquiries in respect of each address, and individuals who are required to notify the registration officer when their registration details change. The registration officer will also have access to relevant records held by the electoral registration officer, other community charges registration officers, and local authorities and other housing bodies (new town development corporations and the Scottish Special Housing Association) in his registration area. Draft regulations on registration matters were recently issued by the Scottish Office for comment by interested bodies.

The 1987 Act makes no change in the provisions of the Data Protection Act, and in addition, under section 20(1) of the 1987 Act, each person registered in the register has the right to inspect the whole of each entry in the register relating to him.

Mr. McAllion

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish in theOfficial Report his estimate of the number of adults in Scotland who will be liable to pay the community charge in 1987–88 and whose names should be registered in the community charge register for that year.

Mr. Lang

My right hon. and learned Friend has made no estimate of the number of people who would be liable to pay the personal community charge in 1987–88, were the new system already in place, or of the number of people who will be liable to pay the charge in 1989–90. It is estimated that in Scotland there are some 3.9 million people aged 18 and over.

Mr. McAllion

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has advised community charge registration officers to run cross-checks with other lists such as the electoral register when they are compiling their community charge registers in order to obtain greater accuracy in the compilation of such registers.

Mr. Lang

No. The responsibility for preparing and maintaining the community charge register rests with the community charges registration officer.