§ Dr. GibsonTo ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what plans there are to co-ordinate the Office for National Statistics citizen information project, the Home Office identification cards database plan and the NHS health records spine. [163155]
§ Ruth KellyThe information requested falls within the responsibility of the Registrar General for England and Wales, who has been asked to reply.
Letter from Len Cook to Dr. Ian Gibson, dated 29 March 2004.
As Registrar General for England & Wales, I have been asked to reply to your recent parliamentary question on the Citizen Information Project (CIP) and other government initiatives. (163155)The CIP the National Identity Register (part of the Government's proposals for an identity card scheme) and the NHS data spine are separate but complementary projects. I fully recognise the need for effective communication between these initiatives and we are working hard to support this. For example, the Home Office and the Department of Health are represented at senior level on the CIP Project Board and there is ONS representation on the ID Cards Programme Board.However the programmes are at different stages and as yet there has not been ministerial approval to implement CIP. Therefore, the main objective is to ensure that the programmes are proceeding in such a manner that would allow integration in the future if appropriate whilst continuing to work closely and liaise at every stage of the development phase.