§ Harry CohenTo ask the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs, if he will publish a data-sharing bill; and how his data-sharing policy takes account of(a) the proposed identity card and (b) the population register being established by the Registrar General. [185962]
§ Mr. LeslieThe Government have no plans to publish a general data-sharing bill. The Government's overall approach to data sharing is set out in the document "Public Sector Data Sharing: Guidance on the Law", which was published by my Department in November 2003. The proposed identity card scheme and the Registrar General's proposals for a possible population register are fully compatible with the framework set out in that document.