§ Ms RuddockTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether personal or police records for which his Department has responsibility have been transferred to the far east for the purpose of making microfiche copies.
§ Mr. Charles WardleNo. But we have not ruled out the possibility that work on the computerisation of criminal records currently held on microfiche might be carried out in the far east or anywhere else, provided that rigorous safeguards for security and confidentiality are in place. We expect to announce our decision on this matter next spring.