§ Mr. CohenTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many schools there are in the United Kingdom; what proportion have computers used for administrative purposes; what steps he has taken to satisify himself about the propriety of personal data held by the governors, head teachers and parent teachers' associations on these computers; whether he has held meetings with local authority associations about the cost of registration of schools under the Data Protection Act; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. FallonThe number of schools in the United Kingdom is 34,958. Information is not available on the number of schools with computers used for administrative purposes. The control and use of personal data by data users is a matter for the office of the Data Protection Registrar. No meetings have so far been held with local authority associations specifically to discuss the cost of registration, but draft guidance for schools on data protection was circulated widely to the associations and others at the end of October 1990. Discussions are still taking place with the office of the Data Protection Registrar on the scope of registration by schools and guidance will be issued when these are complete.