§ Mr. Michael Marshallasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what conclusions were drawn in the course of preparatory studies undertaken in relation to the proposed Government data network, about the potential cost savings resulting from the transfer of relevant data between (a) his Department and Her Majesty's Customs 472W and Excise, (b) his Department and the Inland Revenue and (c) his Department and the Department of Health and Social Security.
§ Mr. HurdWith one exception, no transfers of data are planned between the Home Office and the three other Departments which are expecting to participate in the initial implementation of the Government data network; and no cost savings resulting from the transfer of data between my Department and those departments are foreseen. The exception is the properly authorised transfer of data, through existing networks, to Her Majesty's Customs and Excise, which provides an inquiry-only service on the vehicle keepers index held on the police national computer. A decision whether the police national computer network should be transferred to the Government data network will not be made this year.