§ Mr. CohenTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the organisations and police forces whose crime-fighting information will be co-ordinated via the new police information technology organisation; and if he will make a statement. [25023]
§ Mr. MacleanThe police information technology organisation exists in order to provide services to the police forces of England, Wales and Scotland. In particular, it operates the police national computer which holds information contributed by all these forces.
§ Mr. Cohen:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 29 March, Official Report, column 791, to the hon. Member for Stockton, South (Mr. Devlin) on police information systems and information technology, what evaluation he has made of extending the role of the Data Protection Registrar to cover arrangements for police data held by a private company following compulsory competitive tendering arrangements; and if he will make a statement. [25022]
514W
§ Mr. MacleanThe Data Protection Act 1984 will continue to apply to such data.
§ Mr. CohenTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 29 March,Official Report, column 791, to the hon. Member for Stockton, South (Mr. Devlin) on police information systems and information technology, if he will (a) list the specific exemptions, (b) set out the reduction in overall competition requirement, (c) list the number and nature of the likely contracts involved, their duration and what provision they will contain to ensure security of personal data and (d) list what tender procedures will apply; and if he will make a statement on the arrangements he proposes to ensure the security of personal data. [25021]
§ Mr. MacleanThe extension of compulsory competitive tendering to police authority information systems-information technology support services in England and Wales will be adjusted so as to exclude.
(a) the user support and systems operation, excluding routine maintenance, of integrated communications infrastructures in support of operational policing, including radio, telephony and data services.(b) the user support and systems operation, excluding routine maintenance, of operational systems, and the provision of IS/IT technical expertise and support for investigations surveillance and crime preventions;(c) the user support and systems operation, excluding routine maintenance, for the operational investigation of computer crime;(d) all IS/IT services carried out by police authorities on behalf of regional crime squads; and(e) all operational and specialist IS/IT training, and associated training services, in respect of police officers and the IS/IT training of civilian support to the extent such training relates to preventing and detecting crime; upholding the law; bringing to justice those who break the law; and protecting, helping and reassuring the community.The overall competition requirement will be 55 per cent. It will be for individual police authorities to decide how best to meet their CCT obligations within the overall statutory framework. It is not possible at this stage to anticipate the number and nature of the likely contracts which might be involved.