§ Lord Aveburyasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether, under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, the case of R v Bow Street Magistrates' Court ex parte Mackeson 1982 75 Cr App R 24 is still to be invoked as a reason for declining to give a person making a request information about messages sent to foreign police authorities about convictions against him, or against a person using his name. [HL1135]
§ Lord Bassam of BrightonIf the noble Lord has a specific case in mind in which this judgment has been involved, perhaps he would give me details. The United Kingdom National Central Bureau (NCB) for Interpol, based in the National Criminal Intelligence Service, is responsible for co-ordinating all requests from overseas law enforcement agencies for 109WA information on an individual's previous convictions. Subject to receiving proof of identity of the individual seeking disclosure of such information, the NCB will confirm what information about his/her convictions was provided in response to a request from overseas. However, the NCB would not provide information about messages sent relating to another individual with the same name as the enquirer. Although they share the same name, they do not share right of access to information held about each other's previous convictions. All information held on previous convictions is subject to the Data Protection Act 1998 and the European Convention on Human Rights.