Written question asked by Baroness Laing of Elderslie (Conservative) on Monday, 29 June 2009, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 1 July 2009. It was answered by Lord Hanson of Flint (Labour) on Monday, 6 July 2009 on behalf of the Home Office.

Independent Safeguarding Authority: Databases

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for how long records relating to an individual who has ceased to work with children will continue to be held on the Independent Safeguarding Authority database.

Answer: Records relating to individuals will be retained in accordance with the ISA's data retention policy. The ISA is aware of its responsibilities under the Data Protection Act and ensures that information is retained and reviewed in accordance with the legislation. The data retention policy is being developed and will be discussed with the Information Commissioner. It will be finalised in line with the ISA assuming its full statutory responsibilities in July 2010.This policy will set the specific timelines for ISA data retention which will depend upon the nature of the record and the purpose for which it is being retained.

Secondary information