HC Deb 19 July 1988 vol 137 cc563-4W
Mr. Cohen

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) whether he will place in the Library and send to the Data Protection Registrar any evidence placed before the committee reviewing the workings of the Data Protection Act;

(2) when the committee reviewing the workings of the Data Protection Act is due to report; which Departments are represented on the committee; and how the committee will collect evidence;

(3) whether he will invite a member of staff from the office of the Data Protection Registrar to join the committee reviewing the workings of the Data Protection Act;

(4) whether he will extend the remit of the committee reviewing the workings of the Data Protection Act to report on the implications for individual privacy that arise from (a) the exemption from the whol Act if personal data are used for national security purposes, (b) the lack of powers for the registrar in relation to any of the eight data protection principles if a disclosure is required by any enactment, (c) the exemption from the duty to obtain personal data fairly and lawfully if the data are required or obtained by any enactment and (d) the recent amendment to the Local Government Finance Bill which allows the Secretary of State for Social Services to break his duty of confidentiality.

Mr. Renton

The interdepartmental committee reviewing the implementation of the Data Protection Act is chaired by the Home Office and includes officials from the Department of Trade and Industry, and the Department of Employment. The Data Protection Registrar has been asked to act as consultant and adviser to the committee and will attend meetings as necessary. The evidence required by the committee, and the manner of its collection will be a matter for the committee, which is aware of he consultation exercise being undertaken by the Data Protection Registrar. The result of this exercise will be available to the committee. It is not intended that the evidence should be placed in the Library.

The committee is aware of the need to report to Ministers as soon as possible, but no target date has been set. The review committee will consider the implementation of all aspects of the Data Protection Act, within the remit of the terms of reference contained in my right hon. Friend's reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Derby, North (Mr. Knight) on 4 July, column 420.