§ Mr. Dobsonasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what distinction will be made in the guidelines for the operation of the Data Protection Act between the management of personal affairs or recreational purposes on the one hand and any personal business affairs on the other hand;
(2) what guidelines exist in respect of the operation of the Data Protection Act with regard to the point at which a computer bureau will be deemed to be in operation when equipment leaves its owners's possession for use by another.
§ Mr. WaddingtonIt is for the Data Protection Registrar, rather than for my right hon. Friend, to offer guidance on the interpretation and application of the Data Protection Act. I understand from the Registrar that he has not, as yet, offered any general guidance on the two points raised by the hon. Member but he will be happy to advise the hon. Member if he would write to him explaining the precise circumstances he has in mind.
§ Mr. Dobsonasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many entries the data protection registrar expects to include in his register; how many of these will relate to financial organisations which hold information on the financial affairs of individuals; and what is the likely cost to a data subject in time, in postal charges, and in fees permitted under the Act, of checking those entries.
§ Mr. WaddingtonAs I indicated in reply to questions from the hon. Member for Wrexham (Dr. Marek) and the hon. and learned Member for Leicester, West (Mr. Janner) on 26 July 1985 at column807–8, it is extremely difficult to estimate the likely number of registrations under the Data Protection Act. The registrar's current working assumption is, however, that he will receive about 300,000 initial applications, with 90,000 per year thereafter. No estimates have been made of the proportion of these applications which will be made by financial organisations. Nor is it possible to estimate the costs referred to in the last part of the question.