Police National Computer (Hansard, 16 February 1989)

§ Mr. Cohen
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will allow routine and independent checks of the use of the police national computer to ensure that police procedures are adequate to maintain privacy.

§ Mr. Douglas Hogg
Access to the police national computer is a matter for chief officers of police. Her Majesty's inspectors of constabulary check on access procedures in the course of their annual inspections of forces, however, and this is supplemented by regular audits carried out by forces themselves, and by officers based in the Home Office. The Association of Chief Police Officers keep procedures under regular review, and the Home Office participates in this work. The association is in close touch with the Data Protection Registrar. Against this background, I see no need for further measures.

§ Mr. Cohen
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will institute an independent review of procedures surrounding the use of personal data held on the police national computer by the Police Complaints Authority or the Data Protection Registrar; and whether he will make provision for either body to report to Parliament.

§ Mr. Douglas Hogg
The Police Complaints Authority was established to provide an independent element in the investigation of complaints against individual police officers. The authority has no power other than in relation to complaints against police officers, and a matter of this kind is not for it. The authority reports at least annually to my right hon. Friend, and its reports are laid before Parliament.
The Data Protection Registrar has a duty under the Data Protection Act 1984 to promote the observance of the data protection principles laid down in that Act, and has power to investigate specific complaints made to him. He is, however, independent of the Government, and reports directly to Parliament. I shall arrange for his attention to be drawn to this question.

§ Mr. Cohen
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the precedents established by the Police Complaints Authority in its report HC425, concerning data held on police computers.

§ Mr. Douglas Hogg
The Police Complaints Authority submitted its report under section 97(2) of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984. This empowers the authority to make a report to my right hon. Friend on any matters coming to its notice under part IX of the Act to which it considers that his attention should be drawn by reason of their gravity or of other exceptional circumstances. Part IX of the Act deals with the procedures for investigating complaints against police officers.
Decisions on when to submit a report under section 97(2) of the Act are a matter for the authority.