HC Deb 22 July 1991 vol 195 cc342-3W
Mr. Peter Bottomley

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make it his policy to publish the recommendations of the Interdepartmental Committee on Registration Procedures under the Data Protection Act 1984.

Mrs. Rumbold

The report of the interdepartmental review of the Data Protection Act was laid in the Library on 28 November 1990. Free copies may be obtained on request from room 677A, Home Office, 50 Queen Anne's gate, London SW1H 9AT.

Mr. Peter Bottomley

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish the advice of the Data Protection Registrar on the procedure put forward in the European Commission's draft directive on data protection for a general requirement of notifying individuals whenever information about them is communicated to a third party; and if he will make a statement.

Mrs. Rumbold

The views of the Data Protection Registrar on the notification requirements in articlee 9 of the draft directive are contained in appendix I of his seventh annual report, published on 17 July.

Mr. Peter Bottomley

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received from the press and broadcasters on the European Commission's draft directive on data protection.

Mrs. Rumbold

We have received written representations about the draft directive from press and broadcasting organisations, all concerned about its likely effects on their operations.

Mr. Peter Bottomley

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recommendations he has received from the Data Protection Registrar on the registration procedures in the Data Protection Act 1984 and the notification scheme proposed in the European Commission draft directive on data protection.

Mrs. Rumbold

In his fifth annual report to Parliament the registrar recommended that registration should be limited to sensitive data. On the draft directive's proposal for notification to supervisory authorities of data about to be communicated, he has recommended that this should be optional for member states which should be free to choose other methods of satisfying the data protection principles.

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