§ Mr. CohenTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will place in the Library a copy of the report to him by the Security Service Commissioner, pursuant to paragraph 7(3) of schedule 1 to the Security Service Act 1989 relating to retention of records.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeNo. It would not be in the interests of national security to do so.
§ Mr. CohenTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether records compiled by the Security Service kept in temporary files for which a permanent file is not subsequently set up are destroyed within three years.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeI refer the hon. Member to paragraphs 22 to 24 of the Security Service Commissioner's annual report for 1991 where he describes the Security Service's policy in relation to temporary records which are not converted into permanent files. Except where no inquiries have been made since the Security Service Act 1989 came into force, such temporary records are now retained so that they can be investigated, if necessary, by the complaints tribunal. The commissioner agreed that this policy was correct in law.