§ Mr. CohenTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received from the Data Protection Registrar concerning the protection for individuals in the provisions of the Police Bill; and if he will make a statement. [11346]
§ Mr. MacleanThe Data Protection Registrar commented on the Government's proposals for access to criminal records for employment and other purposes which were set out in the White Paper, "On the Record", and which are now being taken forward in part V of the Police Bill. She welcomed the Government's intention to put arrangements for access to criminal records for employment related purposes on a statutory footing, commented that the proposed arrangements go a long way towards setting up a framework acceptable from a data protection perspective and noted that appropriate action should be taken to discourage or prevent enforced subject access to criminal records. As indicated during Report state of the Police Bill, the Government intend to consider whether it might be possible to amend the Police Bill to prevent this practice. The Registrar has also written to the Home Office about the future role of the National Criminal Intelligence Service as our national unit for liaising with Europol.