§ Mr. McNamaraTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what information contained on the PHOENIX database is accessible by police in Northern Ireland; what authorisation is required for an officer to access this information; and what penalties are available to prosecuting authorities to deter unauthorised use. [29941]
§ Jane KennedyThe Chief Constable has advised me that members of the Police Service of Northern Ireland who have completed the necessary training course, the majority of whom are with the Criminal Records Office, can directly access the PHOENIX Criminal Record System via the Police National Computer (PNC). The use of a unique, personal password is required.
Authorised personnel can interrogate criminal records; access information on wanted or missing persons and impending prosecutions.
Penalties for unauthorised access are detailed in the relevant legislation—section 60 of the Data Protection Act 1998 and sections 1 and 2 of the Computer Act 1990.