HC Deb 26 February 1990 vol 168 cc75-6W
Mr. Cohen

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will introduce regulations to prevent the use of information for purposes other than those associated with the management or collection of the community charge, which has been disclosed to a charging authority by a community charges registration officer for the purpose associated with the community charge; what other duties there are for a community charge registration officer or charging authority to use or disclose community charge data for other purposes; and if he will make a statement.

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton

The community charges register is available for inspection to the extent specified and for the purposes set out in section 20 of the Abolition of Domestic Rates Etc. (Scotland) Act 1987, as amended by the Local Government Finance Act 1987, as amended by the Local Government Finance Act 1988 and the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 and in the Community Charges (Registration) (Scotland) (No. 2) Regulations 1988. My right hon. and learned Friend has no plans to change these arrangements.

Section 20C of the 1987 Act which was inserted by the 1989 Act requires community charges registration officers to supply to the Secretary of State, on request, information that was obtained by them for the purpose of carrying out their functions, provided that the information is not personal information as defined in that section. The section also provides that regulations may permit registration officers to supply such information to any person on request and may charge a prescribed fee for doing so. No regulations under this section have yet been made.