Revenue and Customs: Data Protection

Mr. Philip Hammond
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much PricewaterhouseCoopers will be paid to carry out the Poynter Review.

Jane Kennedy
[holding answer 3 December 2007]: HM Treasury has entered into a contract with PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC), that is commercially confidential.

Mr. Hoban
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer from which budget the cost of the Poynter Review is being met; and what estimate he has made of the total expected cost of the review.

Jane Kennedy
HM Treasury has entered into a contract with PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC), that is commercially confidential.

Mr. Gauke
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what security measures he has put in place to protect data exchanged via the HM Revenue and Customs website by contractors to file online returns under the construction industry scheme.

Jane Kennedy
HMRC has in place appropriate security measures to protect data exchanged via the HMRC website; these include measures to ensure authentication of access, encryption and a secure connection such as firewall technology to safeguard information received. Users of HMRC’s e-services are required to confirm their identity using a unique user identification and password before they can access the Department’s Construction Industry Scheme (CIS) Service. Additionally the system used encrypts all data to ensure any exchange via the Department is transmitted securely.

Mr. Gauke
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what safeguards he has put in place to protect the data held by HM Revenue and Customs for the construction industry scheme.

Jane Kennedy
All data held by HMRC in respect of the construction industry scheme is subject to safeguards consistent with the Department’s revised security guidelines.