§ Mr. CohenTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the Data Protection Registrar has been provided with all necessary information so that all the data protection requirements can be considered by him in relation to(a) Schengen, (b) Trevi, (c) the proposal for a national DNA database and (d) the new national police computer; whether he will place in the Library a copy of any briefing material given to the registrar; and whether he will make a statement.
§ Mrs. RumboldThe Home Office is committed to keeping the Registrar informed of all proposals with data protection implications for which it has responsibility. I am confident that that commitment is being fulfilled; it would not be appropriate to place copies of briefing material in the Library.
§ Mr. CohenTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has any plans to contribute to the citizens' charter by including proposals to allow individual voters to consent to disclosures of their personal data from the electoral register to those who obtain the register for marketing purposes, or proposals to stop the export of electoral registers, for marketing purposes, to countries that have no data protection legislation; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mrs. RumboldThe whole purpose of the electoral register is to provide a comprehensive and publicly available list of the names and addresses of those who are eligible to vote. The provisions governing the publication and supply of the register reflect this and the fact that its use by commercial organisations, either in this country or overseas, could not effectively be prevented.