§ Ms. GordonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how the police will obtain access to data available via the Government data network.
§ Mr. HurdThe proposed Government data network, if implemented, would afford Government Departments and other authorised agencies a secure and cost-effective facility for transmitting data to other locations within the same organisation or, where authorised, to other users of the network. There will be safeguards to prevent unauthorised access by one user to the data of other users.
I am considering whether the network would be suitable for use by the police national computer (PNC) which my Department operates on behalf of police forces. Should it be suitable, the police service would have access only to police data and PNC users would be subject to the same safeguards against unauthorised access as apply to all other users.