§ Mr. CohenTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what action he intends to take with regard to the code of practice on the confidentiality of personal health information in the light of the seventh report of the Data Protection Registrar; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Michael ForsythMy officials have arranged a meeting with the Data Protection Registrar's department to discuss the matters raised in the report. There are no plans at present to amend the code of practice but the concerns of the Data Protection Registrar will be taken into account in any future revision of the code.
§ Mr. CohenTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to allow patients, consumers and parents to consent to, or to be aware of, those uses and disclosures of personal information that are not obvious at the time the citizen provides the information; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Michael ForsythPersonal information contained in health records is primarily for the health care of patients. Advice to patients on other uses which may be made of such information is already contained in some hospital admission booklets. It is planned to extend this practice to all hospital admission booklets and guidance on this will be issued to health boards and NHS trusts.
There are no plans to extend the restrictions on the use of the information contained in a pupil's progress record as set out in regulation 10(3) of the School General (Scotland) Regulations 1975.
Consumer affairs are the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry.