HC Deb 18 January 1994 vol 235 cc459-60W
Mr. Cohen

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether he will make arrangements for the Data Protection Registrar to inspect relevant contracts with suppliers of IT services that involve the use of personal data held by his Department in order to check whether all appropriate arrangements in relation to the Data Protection Act 1984 have been made, and whether such contracts make provisions for the registrar to make random inspections in order to check the suppliers' compliance with the eighth data protection principle.

Mr. Waldegrave

The Data Protection Registrar's powers are such that I do not consider such arrangements are necessary. Should he so wish, the registrar may inspect the one contract we have with an IT services supplier that involves the use of personal data held by my Department.

This relates to the "Charterline" service run on the citizens charter units behalf by IBM (UK) Ltd. at its Havant offices; this service was registered under the Data Protection Act 1984 in June 1993.