HC Deb 05 March 1984 vol 55 cc443-4W
Mr. Cohen

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will state, in relation to the computer system dealing with unemployment benefit in Reading (a) the purpose or purposes for which personal data are held, (b) the source or sources from which the data are obtained, (c) a description of any person or organisations to whom personal data have been disclosed, including the number of such disclosures over the last convenient period of time, (d) the Departments that have or intend to have terminal access to the computer system, and (e) a list of the indices held on the computer system and the number of entries in each index.

Mr. Newton

Following is the information:

  1. (a) Personal data are held so as to be able to calculate, and make payments of unemployment benefit (and where appropriate, supplementary benefit) to claimants.
  2. (b) The source of the data are:
    1. (i) claims information—from unemployment benefit and supplementary benefit local offices;
    2. (ii) contributions information — from Newcastle central office.
  3. (c) Over the last year information has been provided outside the Department and the Department of Employment as follows:
    1. (i) Inland Revenue — for all claimants on a continuing basis for the purposes of taxation of unemployment benefit;
    2. (ii) OPCS — a sample 3,000 cases with monthly monitoring from August 1983, continuing to March 1985;
    3. (iii) Industrial Training Research Unit Limited—7,400 cases September 1983 and again January 1984.
  4. (d) Authorised Department of Employment staff have terminal access to the system.
  5. (e) No indices are held.

Mr. Cohen

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will state, in relation to the computer system of his Department in Newcastle (a) the purpose or purposes for which personal data are held, (b) the source or sources from which the data are obtained, (c) a description of any person or organisations to whom personal data have been disclosed, including the number of such disclosures over the last convenient period of time, (d) the Departments that have or intend to have terminal access to the computer system, and (e) a list of the indices held on the computer system and the number of entries in each index.

Mr. Newton

In relation to the Department's computer systems at Newcastle and Washington:

  1. (a) Personal data are held so that the Department can record national insurance contributions information and to enable the payment of benefit to claimants. Personal data, for payroll and associated purposes are held also in respect of the Department's own employees.
  2. (b) Personal data are obtained from records maintained elsewhere in the Department and from claimants, insured persons and employers.
  3. (c) This is lengthy and I will place a copy in the Library.
  4. (d) Apart from authorised members of the Department's own staff, five offices of the Department of Employment have terminal access (on an experimental basis) to an index of national insurance contributors. There are plans to provide similar access to staff of the Department of Health and Social Services, Northern Ireland, in the near future.
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  5. (e) The only relevant index held on the computer system is that of the NI contributions Index. There are about 53 million entries, each comprising — surname, first and second forenames, address, date of birth and sex.