§ Mr. MichaelTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the relevant statutory provisions relating to the circumstances in which credit reference agencies may be used; and what uses are regarded by his Department as acceptable or worthy of encouragement.
§ Mrs. RumboldThe relevant provisions are sections 157 to 160 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974 and various provisions of the Data Protection Act 1984. The Government consider that the use of credit reference agencies for inquiring into creditworthiness and ability to repay, and thus to promote responsible lending, is to be encouraged.
§ Mr. MichaelTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what safeguards are available to protect individuals(a) in regard to information held about them by credit reference agencies and (b) the way in which any such information is released by such agencies to third parties.
§ Mrs. RumboldSections 158 and 159 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974 give right of access and correction and various provisions of the Data Protection Act 1984 give rights to data subjects. Various provisions of the Data Protection Act regulate disclosure; and the expectation of670W the office of Fair Trading, which licenses credit reference agencies, is that they will require subscribers not to make information available to third parties.