HC Deb 08 December 2003 vol 415 c280W
Tim Loughton

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will make a statement on plans to launch a database of children in the UK.[141025]

Margaret Hodge

The Queen's Speech said that a Bill will be introduced to improve services designed to protect children. Subject to the outcome of consultation on the "Every Child Matters" Green Paper, this will include proposals for local information systems to enable practitioners to share early information about children and young people where this will enable better safeguarding of children and appropriate services being provided to them and their families.

Tim Loughton

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills who will have access to the proposed database of children in the UK; and what steps he will take to prevent unlawful access.[141026]

Margaret Hodge

Access to the proposed local databases on children would be given to practitioners on a "need to know" basis. We will put in place stringent access and security arrangements to prevent unlawful access.

Tim Loughton

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what provision there is for subjects on the child database register to be able to amend the information held on them. [141027]

Margaret Hodge

Subjects on the child database would have access to the information held about them on the system, except where there is an exemption under the Data Protection Act 1998. Subjects would also be able to comment on any information held on the system that was in need of updating.