asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) whether there is a code of practice dealing with the personal data held on the computer system of his Department at Newcastle upon Tyne; whether he will place a copy in the Library; and if he will make a statement;(2) whether there is a code of practice dealing with the personal data held on the computer system of the unemployment benefit offices at Reading and Livingston; whether he will place a copy in the Library; and if he will make a statement.

Comprehensive instructions concerning the disclosure of information are issued to all officers in our Department dealing with social security business. These instructions apply to all personal information obtained for social security purposes, whether that information is held clerically, or as data in computers. the instructions are for official use only.The Central Computers and Telecommunications Agency also makes available a guide to computer security, and this is issued to each computer centre manager in our Department.