HC Deb 14 July 1992 vol 211 c603W
Mr. Gapes

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what are the provisions by which information on benefit recipients affected by the consequences of the Social Security (Mortgage Interest Payments) Act 1992 is exempted from the Data Protection Act 1984.

Mr. Burt

Disclosure is required by the Social Security (Mortgage Interest Payments) Act 1992 which provides for income support for mortgage interest to be paid direct to qualifying lenders. The consequential regulations also specify information about income support recipients' mortgages to be provided by qualifying lenders in order to ensure that the correct amount of benefit is paid direct to them.

These enactments provide exemption from the non-disclosure provisions through section 34(5) of the Data Protection Act 1984.

The Department of Social Security registration under the Data Protection Act in respect of its benefits provides for disclosure of information to qualifying mortgage lenders.