HC Deb 11 June 1986 vol 99 cc173-4W
Mr. Cohen

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many registrations his Department has made under the Data Protection Act; how many people are involved with implementing the legislation in his Department as a significant part of their job description; and how much he estimates it will cost to conform with the eight, data protection principles.

Mr. Hurd

The Department has made 84 applications for registration under the Data Protection Act; across the Department 12 members of staff work on data protection matters as a significant part of their duties.

Entitlement to access by data subjects as required under the seventh data protection principle will become effective from 11 November 1987 and access will normally be subject to payment of a fee. It is as yet too early to say what the grant of access might cost the Department. Conforming with the other data protection principles is not of itself considered likely to incur the Department in any costs.

Mr. Cohen

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many certificates he has signed under section 27 of the Data Protection Act; and if he will describe briefly the subject matter of each.

Mr. Hurd

Certificates under section 27 of the Data Protection Act relate to exemption from the provisions of part II and sections 21 to 24 of part IV of the Act, for the purpose of safeguarding national security. Disclosing details of such certificates would itself not be in the interest of national security.