§ Mr. CohenTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) when the committee reviewing the workings of the Data Protection Act is due to report; whether he will name those organisations that provided evidence to that committee; and whether he will place the evidence in the Library;
(2) whether the committee reviewing the workings of the Data Protection Act have reported to him concerning 573W the implications for individual privacy that arise from (a) the exemption from the whole 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 lawfuly, if the data are required obtained by any enactment and (d) the powers given under the Local Government Finance Act to the Secretary of State for Social Security.
§ Mr. RentonThe interdepartmental committee is continuing its review but is conscious of the need to report to Ministers as soon as possible. The committee is awaiting the result of the independent consultation exercise undertaken by the data protection registrar before deciding whether there is need to call for further evidence. It is not intended that such evidence should be placed in the Library. The data protection registrar intends that the outcome of his exercise should be published in due course.