asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers or civilian staff employed in the police service have, in the latest 12 months, been disciplined for passing information from criminal records to unauthorised persons.

I regret that the information requested is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what safeguards there are to prevent police officers or civilian staff employed in the police service who are entitled to access to Scotland Yard criminal records or those held at local police stations and regional criminal record offices from passing such information to unauthorised persons; and whether he is satisfied with the efficacy of these safeguards in the case of retired police officers now working as security officers for private firms.

We are satisfied that chief officers of police are fully seized of the importance of taking all practicable steps to ensure the confidentiality of police records, and to guard against their unauthorised disclosure. Such disclosure may be subject to disciplinary or, in some circumstances, criminal sanctions. I understand that the principal safeguards are the logging of requests for information and the requirement that no information is given over the telephone except when the identity of the person making the request has been established.