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Departmental Data Protection

Volume 479: debated on Monday 21 July 2008

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department to which external agencies and companies personal data held by her Department has been transferred in the last 12 months. (180401)

All sharing of personal data is carried out in accordance with the requirements of the Data Protection Act (1998) and the Human Rights Acts (1998). The Home Office also has a number of pieces of legislation permitting the disclosure of information, subject to the DPA and HRA, including:

Crime and Disorder Act 1998;

Police Acts 1996, 1997 and 2006;

Immigration and Asylum Act 1999;

Identity Cards Act 2006;

Children Act 2004; and

Social Security Administration Act (1997).

In order to protect the public, the Home Office shares personal data with a number of other organisations including law enforcement agencies, other border control agencies, agencies involved in the protection of children and vulnerable adults, and agencies responsible for vetting and barring.