HC Deb 05 June 1990 vol 173 cc417-8W
Mr. Harry Barnes

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what were the last representations he received from the Data Protection Registrar concerning the sale of electoral registers for other than electoral purposes; and what was his response.

Mr. Peter Lloyd

The Data Protection Registrar wrote to me in February about the different provisions governing the supply of the electoral and community charges registers. In reply I reaffirmed the Government's policy on the sale of the electoral register and explained that, since the two registers are different in purpose, different considerations apply to their availability. The registrar has since proposed that electoral registration officers should publish lists of the names and addresses of those to whom copies of the electoral register have been supplied; we are considering the proposal.

Mr. Harry Barnes

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information the Data Protection Registrar holds about computer interlinks between community charge registers and electoral registers.

Mr. Mellor

I understand that the Registrar holds no such information. He will investigate any evidence of a breach of the Data Protection Act 1984, which he has the responsibility of enforcing.