asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what general guidance on confidentiality and the safe keeping of records has been given to the Central Services Agency and other public authorities which collect information about individual persons.

The Central Services Agency and other health and social services bodies have been given well defined guidance on the confidentiality and safe keeping of information of a private, personal nature.No general guidance has been given to other public bodies. The treatment of information of a personal nature held by a number of such bodies is governed by statutory provision.