§ Dr. CunninghamTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether, further to his written answer on 28 January,Official Report, column 325, he will clarify the circumstances in which health boards could be designated responsible persons for the purposes of the community charge; about whom the information will he requested; and what kinds of information health boards would be required to provide.
§ Mr. LangUnder section 17(6) of the Abolition of Domestic Rates Etc. (Scotland) Act 1987 the responsible person who is required to supply information in respect of premises for community charge registration purposes is defined as the owner-occupier or tenant-occupier of the premises or, where there is no such person, the owner or any tenant who has a lease of 12 months or more. The Act also provides that any other person may be designated as a responsible person by the community charges registration officer. In the case, for example, of nurses' homes, it is therefore possible that health boards, or one of their officers, would be, or would be designated as, responsible persons. The responsible person is required to provide the information about persons solely or mainly resident on the premises requested in the inquiry form or the supplementary inquiry form prescribed in schedules 3 and 4 of the Community Charges (Registration) (Scotland) Regulations 1988.
§ Mr. CohenTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) whether any official publicity material in relation to the community charge, that either has been given to members of the public on request, or has appeared in the Scottish newspapers, informs future community charge payers that their name and address may be sold without their consent or knowledge;
(2) whether any official publicity material in relation to the community charge, that either has been given to members of the public on request, or has appeared in the Scottish newspapers, informs future community charge payers that their name and address on the register may be inspected by police, Inland Revenue, the Department of Health and Social Security and other organisations without their consent or knowledge.
§ Mr. CohenTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will ensure that any future official publicity material in relation to the community charge will inform future community charge payers that their name and address may be sold without their consent or knowledge, and that their name and address on the register may be inspected by police, Inland Revenue, the Department of Health and Social Security and other organisations without their consent or knowledge.
§ Mr. LangMy right hon. and learned Friend is considering whether any restriction should be put on the 535W availability for sale of the publicly available parts of the community charges register. It is made clear in the notice to be sent to registered persons informing them of their entry in the community charges register (schedule 1 to the Community Charges (Registration) (Scotland) Regulations 1988) that the parts of the register showing names, addresses and collective community charge mulipliers applying to certain premises will be made publicly available. My right hon. and learned Friend will consider in due course whether any further publicity should be given to these points.