§ Mrs. Curtis-ThomasTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether police forces may have access to the credit reference agency database(a) with and (b) without the knowledge of the individual concerned. [160454]
§ Caroline FlintThe principal means by which police forces access the information held by credit reference agencies is through making a request under section 29 of the Data Protection Act 1998. The Act allows data to be accessed without the knowledge of the individuals concerned where this is
for the purpose of the prevention or detection of crime, the apprehension or prosecution of offenders, or the assessment or collection of any tax or duty or of any imposition of a similar nature,and where a failure to disclose this information would be likely to prejudice any of these matters. Use of this power is limited by a number of safeguards, notably that applications are approved by senior officers and the reasons for the application documented. The Information Commissioner also monitors the use by law enforcement of these databases.