§ Mr. BakerTo ask the Prime Minister what public access there is under the Data Protection Act 1984 to computer files previously held by the police but now lodged with M15. [10685]
§ The Prime MinisterAny request under the Data Protection Act 1984 for access to data held by the Security Service would be considered on its merits.
However, the Data Protection Act provides for personal data to be exempt from the subject access provisions of the act if the exemption is required for the purpose of safeguarding national security.
The Act also provides for exemption from the subject access provisions of the Act of personal data held for the purpose of discharging statutory functions where the data consist of information obtained for that purpose from a person who possessed it for the prevention or detection of crime or the apprehension or prosecution of offenders and where access would be likely to prejudice those purposes.