§ Mr. Dubsasked the Secretary of State for Social Services in what circumstances information held by his Department about named individuals may be transferred to the police; and what is the procedure for doing so.
§ Mr. FowlerInformation about named individuals is held in departmental records relating to claims for social security benefits, national insurance contribution liability, and certain specified health records. This information is confidential but, except for information about a person's medical condition, it may be disclosed to the police orally and in confidence where it is requested about named individuals in connection with serious crime. Information may also be disclosed to the police in connection with the investigation of alleged offences in which the Department has a direct interest — for example, where the Department has requested the police to investigate a possible social security fraud.
The Department also has direct responsibility for information about patients detained in the four special hospitals at Rampton, Broadmoor, Park Lane and Moss Side. Essential information may be given to the police about those patients where it is in the overriding public interest to do so; for example, in the event of an escape or a serious incident which requires a police investigation Information would also be provided in connection with court proceedings in respect of such patients. Normally this is done with the consent of the patient concerned or in response to a court order.
99WContacts with the police are normally channelled through the hospital administrator in the case of the special hospitals; in the case of information held in social security records, contact would be channelled through the local office manager or his senior officers.