§ Mr. CohenTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what data information systems his Department has(a) agreed and (b) been consulted about with a view to taking part in; what are the criteria for inclusion in such systems; whether they will be linked to (i) the police national computer and (ii) other computer systems; what data protection provisions apply to them; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Lang[holding answer 13 February 1992]: The Scottish Office has 95 data information systems holding personal data and all are registered under the Data Protection Act 1984. The Department complies with the data protection principles in relation to this information which is required to carry out effectively the business of the Department.
None of these data information systems is linked to the police national computer nor directly to any other computer systems, with the exception of a link to the Government payroll centre at Chessington for staff payroll purposes.